31 Halloween Treats
by The Yankee Countess
Summary: a 31 day Halloween prompt fic for every day of October, set in my modern "Suzy Universe!"
1. October 1

_Here's a little 31 day "fic prompt" fic, all leading up to Halloween! Each chapter will be "short" (short for me) :oP, with a different word as the theme. And I thought, "what better universe to set this fic in than the Suzy Universe?" So there you go! If you're a fan of my Suzy AU stories, this is your Halloween treat :o) be sure to check back in daily! And thanks for reading!_

 _P.S. -the timeline for this story is set several months after the events happening in Little Miss Suzy, with Aidan being roughly 3-5 months old._

* * *

 **31 Halloween Treats**  
 _ **by The Yankee Countess**_

 **October 1** _ **—"Costume"**_

Tom and Sybil were curled up in the warmth of their bed when the heard the tapping. Tom was the first to stir, his eyes opening and his head lifting slightly off the pillow at the sound. "Wha…?" he lifted a hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes, then peered at the tiny clock on the bedside table, frowning as he read the hour: 7:00am.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

Sybil began to stir then, her eyes fluttering open at the sound, and she too sat up, looking tired, disheveled, and confused, much like her husband.

"Mummy! Daddy!" the voice was starting to grow louder and more impatient.

Tom and Sybil looked at one another and both whispered the same name: "Suzy."

Despite their sleepiness, they both made quick work of slipping their pajamas back on from the night before, glad that they had at the very least instilled in Suzy the importance of knocking before entering a room, and then finally granted the child admittance, upon which she came bounding in, jumping up onto their bed and grinning broadly. "It's the first day of October!" she announced. She was trying to keep her voice low because of Aidan, but it was obvious she was having difficulty to do so because of her excitement.

Tom and Sybil glanced at each other, trying to remember the significance of the day.

Suzy groaned and rolled her eyes at them. "Mummy, don't you remember? You promised we could go to the costume shop on the first day of October!"

Now it all came back.

For weeks, practically ever since September began, Suzy had been seeing things in shops, on television, and the internet, advertising all things Halloween. She wanted to do it all; decorate their home, make special treats, and of course, get a costume. She especially wanted to go to the shops and get a costume, something which her Irish grandmother was having a hard time understanding.

" _I can make the child's costume!"_ Margaret had insisted. But what Margaret had in mind was the more "traditional" Halloween fare: witches, ghosts, and fairies, not Rey or Capt. Phasma (of which Margaret stared blankly upon hearing the names).

Sybil had to put her foot down about the matter, and promised Suzy that on the first of October, and not a day sooner, would they go costume shopping. And Suzy was wise not to push the matter further; she accepted this compromise, but what her parents hadn't been expecting was her waking up as early as seven in the morning on a Saturday.

"Darling, the shop won't be open for at least another two, possibly three hours," Sybil tried to explain with a yawn.

Suzy groaned and rolled her eyes again (good Lord, was this a glimpse into her future teen years?) At that moment Aidan seemed to sense that everybody else was awake and so decided to demand a little attention of his own.

"Well we'll not be going back to bed now," Tom muttered under his breath into Sybil's ear, before leaning in and kissing her cheek. "Want me to check on him, or should I start making breakfast?"

Sybil sighed. "I'll check on him and you take Suzy into the kitchen," she instructed, before returning her husband's kiss and rising from the bed at last.

As Suzy followed her father into the kitchen, she asked Tom, "What was your favorite costume for Halloween?"

"Me?" he asked, his brow scrunching as he tried to recall. Halloween, at least in the "trick-or-treating" sense was a much bigger thing now than it had been when he was Suzy's age. "I think I dressed up as a ghost a few times…"

Suzy made a face at this. "A ghost?" She clearly wasn't impressed.

Tom couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, keep in mind, m'darlin', my mother made us our costumes, they didn't have all these shops that pop up now every autumn. And…I liked being a ghost. E.T. was a ghost!" he defended, laughing even more as Suzy's look of confusion deepened. He would have to expand her movie education.

"Well, I'm going to be Rey…or Capt. Phasma," she told him, which she had been doing pretty much ever since she had seen the latest Star Wars film. "Or…a ghostbuster!"

Tom's eyebrows lifted at this. "A ghostbuster?" he repeated. This was a first.

Suzy nodded, grinning proudly. Sybil and Suzy had had a "girl's night out" earlier that summer, and had gone to see the newest Ghostbusters film. Suzy had loved it, but had never said anything about wanting to dress up as a ghostbuster for Halloween.

"Well…you have a serious decision to make," he murmured, to which Suzy dramatically sighed, before sinking into her chair at the kitchen table.

"I know," she groaned, to which Tom had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out laughing. "But once I see what the shop has to offer, I'll make my decision then."

Tom nodded his head, before opening the refrigerator. "Aye, that's good, but what I meant was…you have a serious decision on what you want for breakfast: eggs on toast? Or eggs with sausage?" Suzy groaned again, and this time, Tom didn't keep himself from laughing.

 _To be continued…_


	2. October 2

_Apologies for the lateness of getting this one in, but I did manage to do it before the end of the day, at least on my side of the globe! Thanks for reading! Here's some nice mother-in-law/daughter-in-law bonding :oP  
_

* * *

 **OCTOBER 2– _"broomstick"_**

"Thank you," Sybil gratefully murmured to her mother-in-law, as she took the offered mug of tea.

"I'm afraid it's simple Irish Breakfast," Margaret chuckled. "I never went into any that 'pumpkin-flavored' nonsense."

Despite the stress she was feeling, Sybil did chuckle back, her body welcoming the warmth of the tea's strong flavor. Her mother-in-law had an uncanny talent for helping her relax when she felt she was at her wits end.

"Suzy told me all about your 'adventure' at the costume shop," Margaret began, which earned a groan of disgust from Sybil. It was Sunday afternoon, and like most Sundays, the Bransons had gone to Margaret's for Sunday dinner. Suzy had quickly "abandoned" her family in favor of playing with her cousins, while Tom had decided to take Aidan for a little "father and son" stroll, giving Sybil a much-needed "break" from motherhood for the moment.

"Suzy can't make up her mind what she wants to be," Sybil explained after another sip. "For months she's been talking about nothing else but Star Wars, and now she's suddenly decided she wants to be a Ghostbuster."

"Aye, she told me," Margaret nodded her head. "Costumes have certainly changed since Tommy was a boy; I don't remember there being so many choices!"

Sybil snorted at that. "A great many choices if you're a boy," she muttered. "When we were looking for the Ghostbusters costumes, all we found were the ones designed for boys."

Margaret frowned. "But…wasn't there that movie this summer—?"

"Exactly!" Sybil groaned. "But when we were looking at the costumes designed for girls, even girls as young as Suzy, they looked nothing like what the characters wore in the film! They had short little skirts, with knee-high stockings and boots…" she paused to take a deep sip of her tea, trying to calm the fury she felt boiling inside her.

Margaret made a face at what Sybil was describing, but then offered, "well, what if you bought one of the little boys costumes? I'm sure for a girl Suzy's age, it wouldn't matter."

"No, it wouldn't, and I have considered that—we even talked about it, Suzy and I; she was every bit as disappointed as I was by what we found. But it's more than that, I was furious! It upsets me that everything packaged for women is always some 'sexy version', but these were CHILDREN'S costumes, and Suzy isn't even 10 yet! And…oh Margaret, I was just so angry, I couldn't stop myself, I marched up to the sales clerk, and just…started wailing at this poor kid, no doubt embarrassing Suzy and causing a scene…" she groaned and lowered her head, looking rather embarrassed of herself.

Margaret's eyebrows lifted as she listened to Sybil retell her story. Her daughter-in-law fit right in with the family; she had a temper that would make the Irish proud. "So what happened then?"

Sybil kept her eyes locked on the mug of tea in her hands. "He asked if I would like a broomstick."

Margaret frowned. "A broomstick?" Why on earth had the sales clerk mentioned a broomstick.

Sybil nodded and then slowly…the tiniest of smiles could be seen lifting at the corner of her mouth. "He told me they had a wide assortment of witch's costumes…" she explained, her grin only growing more and more, before it finally became a laugh.

Margaret stared at her daughter-in-law…and then slowly, she too began to grin, and then laugh as well.

"He was probably thinking of something else other than 'witch'," Sybil giggled, which caused them both to laugh even harder.

Margaret clutched at her sides, and tears began to stream down her face. They both laughed for a good, long moment, the tension, stress, and anger from earlier, finally seeming to melt away. Finally, when they both seemed to have regained some sense of control, Margaret managed to ask, "so did you get it? The broomstick?"

Sybil shook her head. "No, but it's not a bad idea—it's been years since I bought myself a costume. Maybe I should? Ugh, although that was the other thing—the prices on these things!"

"Well don't you worry about that," Margaret assured her. "I may not know a thing about this 'Rey' character Suzy wants to be, but a witch costume, even one designed for a lovely grown woman like yourself, I can manage." And then she leaned in and gave Sybil a teasing wink, "and I'll throw in the broomstick for free!"

 _To be continued..._


	3. October 3

_Another one just under the gun, but still on time at least here :oP I'll try to post these a little earlier over the next few days. This particular chapter has a slight personal touch to it, as my father worked from home when I was a child, and therefore was the only "father" who helped out at various school functions when I was growing up. You'll see what I mean as you read this :oP THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOU HAVE READ AND REVIEWED SO FAR! I hope you continue to enjoy!_

* * *

 **OCTOBER 3–"pumpkin patch"**

Tom waited outside the school, his hands stuffed in his pockets, smiling pleasantly at the other parents who were also there to greet their children. Sybil's maternity leave had just ended, and today was her first day back at the hospital. Tom never had "traditional" office hours, and did a majority of his writing from home. With Aidan snug in his little harness, he slept against his father's chest as Tom patiently waited.

The bell had barely started to ring before the doors to the school burst open and a stream of children came rushing outside. Aidan stirred at the sound, but with a comforting hand on his back, promptly fell back to sleep. Suzy exited the school a minute later, and upon seeing Tom, burst into a huge grin, before rushing towards him at top speed.

"DADDY! DADDY!" she cried, her left hand clutching an orange slip of paper waving in the air.

"Hello me darlin'," Tom chuckled, putting another comforting hand on Aidan's back, as his eyes opened once again at the sound of his over-excited sister.

"Oh! Sorry," Suzy apologized, now noticing her baby brother. If she felt guilty for waking him, it didn't last; she was practically jumping back and forth from one foot to the other in her excitement. "Daddy! Guess what we're doing next week!?"

Tom opened his mouth to offer a possible answer, but Suzy couldn't wait.

"We're going to a pumpkin patch!"

Tom's eyebrows lifted at this. "A pumpkin patch?"

She nodded her head, grinning broadly. "My whole class is going!" she told him, waving the orange slip of paper at him. Tom took the paper and read the teacher's announcement about the upcoming field trip, as well as the desire for any parents who were able, to come and assist as chaperones.

"Can you come, Daddy? Please? Please?"

Tom sighed and looked down at Suzy, hating to disappoint her. "I don't think I can, sweetheart," he began, prepared to explain why, but Suzy was way ahead of him.

"Is it because of Aidan?" she asked, then barreled forward. "Because Nan could look after him! I'm sure if we ring her and ask—"

"Suzy…"

"Or he could come with us!" Suzy continued, ever the optimist.

Tom's eyebrows lifted a second time. "Bring him on your class trip?"

"Why not? He'll probably sleep through the whole thing anyway."

Tom sighed. "Suzy, I can't take Aidan—he's too young—"

"But we're taking him with us to the apple orchard on Saturday—"

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

Tom had to hand it to her; she was stubborn, but clever.

"Well, for one thing, both your nan and your mam will be with us when we go to the apple orchard, so they can help with looking after Aidan in addition to having fun with you…"

Suzy's face fell as she listened to him speak. The excitement that had lit up her little face when she had first exited the school was gone completely now. What remained was clear disappointment.

"Ah, you don't need me to come along," he attempted to tease, hoping to bring her smile back. "I'd just 'cramp your style'."

She did giggle a little at that, but then quickly shook her head. "No you wouldn't," she insisted, taking his hand in hers as they began to walk. "Besides, you'd be the only dad there; none of the other dads ever come to anything."

"Now that isn't true; I remember seeing lots of dads at your school assembly," he reasoned, although he was rather touched by her desire to have him present at her class functions.

"But you're the only dad who picks me up from school, and the only dad who comes to my classroom."

This was harder to argue, as Tom realized that all of the parents who were there that afternoon were mothers or grandmothers, and earlier that autumn season, when the children practiced their fire safety drill, the teachers had sent home notices asking any available parents to stop by that day to help. Tom volunteered, and now upon the memory, realized he had been the only father present.

But even so, he just couldn't help out this time. Someone had to look after Aidan, he truly was too young to take on a school trip (and besides, the point of chaperoning these events was to help look after the school children, not just your own!) and he was feeling guilty about relying on his mother to help with looking after his own son (even though she was always insisting that it was no trouble).

Still…looking down at Suzy and observing her mopey face…and remembering the looking of excitement she had when she had first greeted him, not because her class was going on a trip to a pumpkin patch, but because she wanted him to accompany them on the trip…

He could hear his mother's admonishing words _: "Tommy, you know I'm happy to look after Aidan whenever you need me! GO WITH SUZY!"_

"Alright," he began, to which Suzy let out a gasp. "BUT ONLY," he continued, his voice firm, "if your Nan doesn't mind, and if she's available to look after your brother."

Suzy nodded her head in understanding, but she was already grinning again, and just like before, began to jump up and down in excitement.

Tom couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, and with a shake of his head, took Suzy's hand once again. "Come on, let's get home; you have homework to do and I think your brother needs a new nappy."

Suzy made a face at this, but despite what Tom had said, it was clear nothing was going to deter her happiness at the prospect of her father joining her on her class trip. Not even the mention of dirty nappies.

 _To be continued..._


	4. October 4

_Dedicated to anyone whoever made their own homemade Halloween decorations... ;oP_

* * *

 **OCTOBER 4–"bats"**

"What do you think of THIS one?" Suzy asked her father, holding up her latest creation for him to see.

Tom looked over his shoulder, his hand pausing momentarily from the stew he was stirring. "Very scary," he assured her, which was exactly what Suzy clearly wanted to hear. She grinned and got right back to work.

Tom glanced at the clock over the oven. "Your mam will home soon; best start clearing that stuff off the table, me darlin'." However no sooner had the words left his mouth, the sound of a key could be heard in the door just beyond.

"Mummy!" Suzy cried, forgetting about her chore to clear off the table, and instead bounding towards the door, the same creation she had just shown Tom now being thrust towards her mother.

"Hello, I—oh!" Sybil gasped, surprised by the sudden appearance of the paper cut-out.

"BOO!" Suzy giggled, waving the cut-out in her mother's face. "Did I scare you, Mummy?"

"You certainly startled me," Sybil assured her daughter. "And it's lovely to see you too," she added, bending to kiss the top of Suzy's head.

Tom stepped forward then and put his hands on Suzy's shoulders. "Table, sweetheart," he simply said, to which Suzy nodded before retreating back to the kitchen.

"Hello, love," Tom murmured with a loving smile, taking advantage of the uninterrupted moment and greeting his wife with a soft kiss.

Sybil smiled against his lips and returned the kiss, leaning against his body and feeling the stress of the day melt away at long last. "Mmmm, it's very good to be home," she sighed, her head resting against his shoulder and welcoming the strength of his arms around her.

"Hard day?" he asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Just long," Sybil answered. "It's going to be a while before I get used to these shifts."

Tom frowned. "Maybe you should talk with the hospital about going to half-shifts, at least for a few weeks—"

Sybil shook her head. "They need us full-time; we're momentarily short on nursing staff, and if you recall, I actually am working less than I was _before_ Aidan was born."

"Before we married, actually," Tom corrected, which brought a blush to Sybil's cheeks. True, then she was a single parent and needed the extra shifts. She had two children now, but she also had a spouse to help with paying the bills, and supportive in-laws who were more than happy to step in and help if it was ever needed.

"We'll see," Sybil eventually said. "I think I just need to get myself back into the habit."

Tom didn't push the matter, he knew Sybil was right, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel concerned for her well-being. He didn't want her to over-exhaust herself, but at the same time, he didn't want to hold her back from doing a job that he knew she loved.

"Mummy! Mummy, come and see!"

Suzy's voice brought them both out of their private reverie, and with a chuckle, Tom put his arm around Sybil's shoulders and guided her towards the kitchen to see what "mayhem" their daughter had been up to that day.

"Ta da!" Suzy grinned, showing off her various cut-out creations, which were still scattered across the kitchen table.

"Suzy," Tom groaned. "I asked you, _twice_ , to clear off the table."

"I know, but I wanted Mummy to see first," Suzy explained, turning her attentions back to her mother. "Aren't they scary?" she asked Sybil, clearly wanting to hear a resounding "YES".

Sybil looked down at the various cut-outs, all various shades of blue, purple, and black, and all with yellow circles for eyes, and long, white, upside-down triangles with red crayon coloring the tips on what she assumed was meant to be a mouth.

"Very frightening," Sybil assured her daughter. "What are they for?"

"I'm going to tape them to the windows! To scare anyone who looks in!" she explained with a bit of a "mad scientist" laugh.

"She's been making Halloween decorations for the past hour," Tom explained. "Don't worry, I made sure she finished her homework first."

Sybil gave him a grateful smile, before turning back to Suzy once again. "Alright, we'll hang them up _after_ supper, but please do as your father has asked repeatedly and clear off the table, alright?"

Suzy nodded her head, and immediately got to work, picking up crayons, scissors, glue, and scrap pieces of construction paper. As she went about her work, Sybil followed Tom further into the kitchen where he had put the stew on simmer and whispered in his ear, "I am worst parent in the world; what on earth are those things meant to be?"

Tom bit his lip to keep from laughing and glanced over his shoulder to make sure Suzy couldn't hear them. "Bats, from what I understand."

Sybil's brow furrowed. "Bats?"

Tom nodded. "Vampire bats, to be specific."

Well that would explain the white upside-down triangles with red crayon coloring the tips. "But…if they're bats…where are their…?"

"Wings?" Tom finished for her and gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't know; and I confess, I didn't have the heart to ask her. She just told me they were 'bats', and I went along with it."

Wingless bats. Well why not? Their home would no doubt see far stranger things over time.

 _To be continued..._


	5. October 5

_Forgive my ignorance about "candy corn" and its commercial appeal outside the US; I think of it distinctly as an American candy, but maybe it's better known in Ireland/Britain than I'm giving it credit for? If so, just try to "pretend" that it's not as well known :oP AND THANK YOU FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 5** _ **—"Candy Corn"**_

Unlike the previous night when Sybil had come home from her hospital shift, the house seemed eerily quiet. She unlocked the door and poked her head inside, wondering if perhaps her husband and daughter were playing an early "Halloween prank" on her, but instead of being leapt upon by Suzy with her strange "wingless bats" as her daughter had done the previous night, all was quiet and at peace.

"Hello?" And then with a little bit of a cheeky grin, added, "Honey, I'm home!"

Nothing.

Sybil looked at the little dish near the door, the one where both she and Tom kept their keys. His were missing, which more than likely meant he (and Suzy) were both out. This was confirmed when Sybil entered the kitchen and saw a note on the refrigerator.

 _WENT TO PICK UP PIZZA;  
PACKAGE FOR YOU FROM AMERICA._

America?

Sybil looked to the kitchen table, and sure enough, there was a package, lying in wait. She peered down at the label, and right away recognized the penmanship of her American grandmother. Curious, she took a pair of scissors and cut open the top of the box, removing the orange and black tissue paper to reveal the package's hidden surprise.

There was a card, with a pair of grinning ghosts adorning the cover. Sybil opened it and read the little message.

" _To my favorite grandchild—yes, I say that about all of you, but I especially mean it with you."_

Sybil rolled her eyes but also smiled. She continued to read.

" _It occurred to me that I have yet to send you a gift after giving birth to my latest great-grandchild. Now I know what you're thinking—I sent that extra-large teddy bear from FAO Swartz with Aidan's name sewed across his tummy (very similar to the bear I sent Suzy after she was born), but I believe the mother deserves a little something of her own…so that's what this is; an overdue gift of congratulations to you and you alone. Now don't worry, I didn't 'break the bank' or anything—I know my granddaughter and I think you'll allow me this indulgence…"_

With a furrowed brow, Sybil pushed through the rest of the tissue paper, curious to know what her grandmother was referring to. When her hand touched plastic, she peered inside and gasped at the sight of the bag.

 _"…I haven't forgotten how much you love these. I know they're not as common there, or I should say, not as familiar with the holiday as they are here, but I certainly can't imagine Halloween without them, and you shouldn't have to either…"_

Sybil laughed and gazed down at the bag of yellow, orange, and white candies. Mary and Edith hated them; she remembered quite clearly the faces they made when they first tried candy corn. As for Sybil, she had been very curious over this confection that claimed to be a "candied" version of corn. Whether it was her rebellious nature to be different from her sisters, or simply because she actually did like the strange taste, she came away from that first experience of trying candy corn, as a new "convert", or so her American grandmother lauded.

"… _Happy Halloween, my dear! I'll leave it entirely up to you on whether you share these with that fine husband of yours—"_

"Oh grandmamma," Sybil groaned, her cheeks blushing hotly.

"— _or with my sweet little Suzy-bear."_

Suzy-bear; that was her grandmother's affectionate nick-name for Suzy. Sybil smiled at the card, then set it aside to gaze one last time at the brightly colored package of Halloween candy…before tearing it open and pouring a few into her palm.

She closed her eyes as she tasted for the first time in what felt like years, the unique sweet crunchiness of the candy corn. "Thank you, Grandmama," Sybil murmured after she finished chewing. She started to stuff the remaining pieces of tissue paper back into the box, but stopped short when she felt…another plastic bag?

Overturning the box, the tissue fell along with several heavier items. MORE candy corn!?

Sure enough, that was exactly what they were! At least three additional bags, all different: one that was supposedly "pumpkin-spice" flavored, while another was "caramel apple", and a third boasted to having chocolate. Her grandmother was clearly making up for lost time.

"Mummy's home!" Suzy shouted, causing Sybil to jump as the door banged open and her daughter rushed inside.

Tom followed close behind, balancing a baby in hand and a steaming pizza box in the other. "Hey love!" he called out, setting the box aside and leaning in for a kiss, but stopping short when saw the scattering of orange and black tissue paper across the table. "You've opened your package, I see…"

"Ooooh! What is it, what is it!?" Suzy asked, leaping up and down excitedly.

Sybil laughed and took a squirming Aidan from Tom's arms, and placed a loving hand on her daughter's head. "A gift from your great-grandmother Martha," Sybil explained.

"What kind of gift!?" Suzy asked, although she was already answering the question by reaching for one of the bags of candy corn on the table. She stared at the bag and blinked, reading over and over what the package said. "Candy corn?" she looked up at Sybil for confirmation. "Is it really…corn?"

Sybil laughed and shook her head. "Not exactly, but it really is candy—and no, you can't have any right now, you need to wait until after your supper."

"Awww," Suzy pouted. "I was going to put some on my pizza."

Tom made a face at the mere suggestion, while Sybil simply laughed and snuck herself another piece.

 _To be continued..._


	6. October 6

_A slightly longer chapter :o)_ _dedicating this to **gothamgirl28** -hope it brings a smile to your face!_

* * *

 **October 6** _ **—"Leaf Pile"**_

Suzy was getting restless.

According to her, _EVERYONE_ already had their Halloween costume, and here she was…SIX WHOLE DAYS INTO OCTOBER and she _still_ didn't have one. In the time that Tom had known the child, he had never seen her melt down to the point of having a temper tantrum, but she came awfully close the previous night. He had no qualm with being firm with Suzy, but this was entirely new territory for him and he honestly felt a little helpless.

Sybil handled the situation perfectly, giving Suzy a warning that if she pushed the topic any further, they would cancel their trip to the orchard this Saturday, and judging from the look in her eyes, he knew that she meant it. Suzy must have known her mother meant it too, because she lowered her eyes and her lip began to tremble, a mixture of anger, frustration, and possibly even shame for being scolded, and mumbled something that was a half-hearted apology, before excusing herself from the dinner table.

Things remained tense for the rest of the night, but before Suzy turned off her light, Tom had an idea.

"I'll make a deal with you," he told the little girl, who sat up a little straighter on her bed and looked at him with interest. "Tomorrow, after school, you help me with raking all those leaves in the front garden, and then on Friday, we'll go directly to the costume shop after school."

Suzy's eyes lit up, and there was a moment where Tom could see that the child wanted to ask, _"Why can't we go tomorrow after raking the leaves?"_ but chose (wisely) not to challenge the offer, especially when her mother appeared just beyond Tom's shoulder.

"It's a fair compromise, don't you think?" Tom asked Sybil later, after they kissed Suzy goodnight and turned out the light. Sybil simply giggled and murmured something about Suzy having him wrapped around her little finger, but that was nothing new; both she and Sybil had ensnared him the day he met them.

Now it was Thursday, and Tom had dropped Aidan off with his mother before going to the school to pick Suzy up. He had also stopped at the store to pick up some sacks for the leaves to go in. He contemplated purchasing a "child-size" rake, but in the end chose against it (Suzy would no doubt insist on using the same size he had; she was her mother's daughter after all).

When the bell rang and the school doors burst open, Suzy came rushing out, waving goodbye to her friends and surprisingly…passing Tom. Tom frowned and looked at her retreating figure. When she seemed to realize that he wasn't following her, she stopped and looked back at him. "Come _on_ , Daddy!" she practically shouted. "Those leaves aren't going to rake themselves!"

Apparently with the right motivation, a child was willing to take on any chore.

"Coming," he answered, unable to hide his grin as he hurried after her.

When they got home, Suzy first went inside to drop off her school bag and change out of her uniform, putting on a grubby pair of overalls, before hurrying back to the yard where he was waiting with bags and rakes in hand. "Ready?" he asked her, already knowing the answer. Suzy simply reached for a rake.

They got to work right away, beginning at one corner of the front garden, under one of the larger trees which had shed the most leaves. Suzy paused for a moment, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as if she were contemplating something, and did a quick look around the yard. "Maybe we should split up?" she suggested, surprising him.

"Split up?"

"I work on this corner and you work on that one," she explained, pointing to another leaf-ridden corner of the garden.

Tom arched an eyebrow at her suggestion. "You'd rather work alone?" he asked her, a bit surprised.

A look akin to guilt seemed to wash over Suzy's features. "No, just…well…" she nibbled her bottom lip. "Don't you think it will go faster that way?"

Tom gazed at the child, realization slowly dawning on him. "Suzy, me darlin', I know you're eager to go back to the shop and find your costume—"

"I just thought that maybe if we finish early…" the words faded as she looked up at him, her eyes round and hopeful, but he knew he had to be firm with her, and stick by their original agreement. There was a lesson to be had there, for both of them. And this was a part of parenting too.

"We made a deal, didn't we sweetheart?"

Suzy sighed and lowered her eyes, her feet kicking at some of the leaves there before finally nodding her head. Tom bit his lip, knowing now wasn't the time for laughter.

"Right," he cleared his throat. "I promise you; tomorrow as soon as school is over we'll head to the shops. But first, you need to uphold your side of our bargain," he gently reminded.

She sighed again but nodded her head. "I know," she mumbled, then sighed a third time, though this time it was less a sigh of resignation, and more one of determination. "Alright…you can stay and help me with this corner."

"Oh, thank you, your highness," he teased, laughing now at the face she made and the tongue she stuck out in his direction.

They continued raking, creating several piles. Tom glanced at Suzy, impressed by how well she was handling the task. He thought she might struggle a bit with the rake, considering that it was a great deal taller than herself, but she was proving to be both a good and hard worker.

"Have you done this before?" he asked her. "Raked leaves?"

Suzy actually shook her head, causing Tom's eyebrows to lift in surprise.

"I've seen it on TV," she explained. "It doesn't seem so hard…"

"No, no it isn't," he murmured in agreement…and then a smile began to spread across his face. "But you don't know what you've been missing…"

Suzy looked up at him in confusion. Chuckling to himself, Tom urged Suzy to help him make one big pile of leaves. As soon as Tom deemed the pile large enough, he instructed Suzy to put down her rake and take a few steps back. "Now…watch me…" he told her, and then with a shout, he leapt onto the leaf pile.

Tom winced at the landing. It wasn't exactly how he had remembered it, but then again, when he had been Suzy's age he weighed a great deal less. Still, the leaves did cushion his landing (slightly), and Suzy was giggling at the sight.

"Did you like that?" he asked her as he got back to his feet (again, fighting the need to wince, knowing he would be feeling sore later).

Suzy giggled and nodded her head. "Can I try?"

"Of course!" he laughed. "But first…"

Suzy understood and quickly picked up her rake, helping him make another large pile of leaves before Tom finally told her it was ready. She had barely put her rake down before she was suddenly in the air and landing with a large, leafy plop on the pile, sending leaves every direction.

Her landing was a great deal smoother than his.

"AGAIN! AGAIN!" Suzy cried, scrambling out of the leaf pile, leaves sticking to her clothes and hair.

Tom laughed then sighed, thinking to himself _, I've created a monster_ , before nodding his head and helping her make another pile. Suzy wanted the pile to be even bigger, so they raked the far corners of the front garden, pausing every once in a while, for her to take a flying leap into it…which naturally sent leaves flying and meant they would have to rake them up over and over. It was a never-ending cycle, but one that Suzy seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

The sun was starting to go down when Sybil walked up the path, staring at the mayhem of the front garden and then at her husband and daughter, both covered in leaves and shaking with laughter.

"Mummy!" Suzy cried. "Watch me! Watch me!" Before Sybil had a chance to respond, she was already leaping into the remnants of a pile.

Sybil looked at Tom, who gazed back at her a little sheepishly. "Welcome home, love," he mumbled.

Sybil sighed and shook her head, then turned her face towards the sky. "I'd say you have approximately thirty-minutes left of daylight, if that…" she gave them a pointed look then. "Best make the best of it and get these leaves into bags."

Tom and Suzy both nodded, perhaps a little guiltily, and picked up their rakes and got back to work.

…When suddenly the leaves went swirling and the sound of a feminine "Ooof!" was heard.

Tom and Suzy whirled around and stared at the sight of Sybil, lying on her back and laughing in what remained of a leaf pile. Suzy and Tom glanced at each other, and then with a mighty cry, quickly joined her.

The bagging of the leaves would have to wait for another day.

 _To be continued..._


	7. October 7

_Little shout-out to those who know their Irish folk lore..._

 _THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR READING! :oD_

* * *

 **October 7** _ **—"Graveyard"**_

"Mrs. Quincy is so excited that you're helping as a chaperone next week, Daddy," Suzy prattled to her father from the backseat of the car. "And Lucy said that her mummy is excited too."

Tom's brow furrowed at the name. "Who?"

"Lucy—she sits next to me in class," Suzy explained. "Anyway, she said that her mummy and Michael's mummy and Angelica's mummy are all excited that you're coming."

Tom felt his face darken at this list of mothers. Suzy was surely exaggerating…right?

"Don't know why," he muttered, more to himself, but she had heard him.

"Because no other daddies ever come and help out!" Suzy explained, rolling her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Tom laughed and shook his head; she _had_ to be exaggerating, he told himself. "Well, I am glad I can help," he told Suzy, before returning his focus to the road ahead of them.

They drove on, their destination the coveted costume shop as Tom had promised from the previous day. He smiled as he recalled their little play in the leaves; true, they had ended up making more of a mess than anything else, but he wouldn't trade that afternoon for anything. And a promise was a promise, after all.

He glanced in the rearview mirror at Suzy, noticing that she had suddenly become very quiet. She was sitting very stiffly, and looking out the window at something…something that seemed to cause her to crease her brow with…concern? He wasn't sure exactly, but then he noticed her opening her mouth, only to take in a great gulp of air, which caused her to puff up her cheeks as she tried to hold it. What on earth…?

"Suzy, me darlin', what are you—?"

"MMMM!" she protested, still holding her breath but clearly telling him to be quiet and not distract her. Tom waited, his eyes going back and forth between the road and her reflection. Finally, Suzy let out a long exhale, slumping in her seat slightly as she did so.

"What was that all about?" Tom asked with amused concern.

Suzy bit her lip and glanced out the window, looking over her shoulder slightly; they must have passed whatever had originally gotten her attention.

"Daddy…" Suzy began. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

They had just pulled up to a traffic light and had stopped, and for good measure, as Tom had not been prepared for that question. "Ghosts?" he repeated. He glanced at her reflection again, but noticed that she looked quite serious, and perhaps…a little apprehensive. "No," he promptly told her, wanting to put any fears that she might have at ease, if he could. But he couldn't help but ask, "Why do you ask?"

Suzy nibbled her bottom lip. "Because of Halloween, they're teaching us about Irish folk lore," she explained. "Mrs. Quincy mentioned the banshees, and the pookas…" she explained, shivering at the mention of these Irish spirits that Tom remembered quite well when he and his siblings tried to "out-scare" one another late at night when they were children.

"Anyway, Bryan Donnelly said that when you pass a graveyard, you need to hold your breath, otherwise the spirits will rise up from their graves and steal your soul."

Tom's eyebrows lifted at that. He had heard variations of that "legend", and may have even done it himself a few times when he was Suzy's age.

"Was that why you held your breath back there?" he gently asked, recalling that they did pass the graveyard to St. Joseph's. Suzy didn't answer, but he could tell from the way she uncomfortably squirmed that the answer was yes. "Nothing is going to steal your soul, sweetheart," he assured her, and then added for good measure, "I wouldn't let them."

That did bring a little smile to Suzy's face, but she still looked concerned. "So you _really_ don't believe in ghosts?" she asked again.

Tom had honestly never given much thought to the after-life, and certainly not to "earth-bound spirits" or Irish folk legends. But he stuck by what he had said earlier and repeated, "No, me darlin', I don't."

" _Not even_ banshees or pookas?"

Tom bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh, but shook his head.

He wasn't sure if his answer satisfied Suzy or helped calm any fears that she might have, but she seemed to nod her head in resignation to his words, before settling back in her seat once again.

He decided to try and lighten the mood by asking her if she had made up her mind about whether she was going to be a Star Wars character or a Ghostbuster for Halloween. Suzy did grin at that, and once again, filled the car with chatter all the way to the costume shop.

"Daddy, you should get something too!" she told him after he had parked the car.

"Oh yeah?" he chuckled. "What should I be?"

"Not a ghost," she muttered, making a face at the word.

Tom did laugh at that. "Alright, not a ghost," he agreed. Besides, he doubted his mother's sheets still fit him. He did, however, notice something on a nearby aisle, and an idea immediately began to take root in his mind…

 _To be continued..._


	8. October 8

_And now for some fluff :oP THANKS FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 8** _ **—"Apple Orchard"**_

"Ah, now see this one? This is a GOOD baking apple," Margaret explained to her granddaughter, holding up a perfectly fine, round green apple for Suzy to see.

Suzy gazed at the apple with reverent eyes, running her tiny fingers over the smooth green skin. Her little brow furrowed then, and she looked up at Margaret with a questioning glance. "What about the red ones? Or the ones that are both red _and_ green?"

Margaret chuckled before placing the apple into their basket. "Well, it depends on what you want to make; some apples are better than others for certain things…"

Sybil watched as her mother-in-law took Suzy by the hand and began her "apple lesson", leading her to several different kinds of apple trees and explaining the different recipes different apples could create. Tom, who had been busy picking, glanced at his wife and noticed the faraway look on her face. "Everything alright, love?"

Sybil turned back to Tom, her eyes glistening slightly but a loving smile spreading widely across her face. She moved to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his head down for a deep kiss. "Everything is perfect," she whispered against his lips, and Tom momentarily forgot all about apple picking.

"Mmmwwahhh!"

That is, he momentarily forgot about apple picking, but was reminded that his son was literally between them.

They eased back and looked down at the squirming infant, who had woken up from the nap he had been enjoying in the sling around Sybil's body, thanks to the somewhat passionate "hug" his parents had been exchanging.

"Sorry about that, little man," Tom apologized to the boy, before bending to kiss Aidan's downy head. If Aidan was disgruntled for being momentarily squeezed between his parents, it was quickly forgotten and forgiven, as he seemed to gurgle his appreciation for his father's kiss, before once again settling himself against his mother's breast and drifting off to sleep.

Sybil giggled as she gazed down at the baby, her hand joining Tom's as they gently caressed their son's cheek and brow. She lifted her eyes to Tom's, her own glistening once again, but the smile she wore told him that the emotion she was feeling was happiness, and if that didn't tell him, then her murmured, "I love you," certainly did.

"Mummy! Mummy!"

Tom and Sybil turned toward Suzy's excited voice as she came bounding back towards them. "I saw horses! Just over there!" she pointed over her shoulder, and before asking them to follow her, quickly turned and bounded in the direction of where said horses supposedly were.

"She certainly seems to be having a grand time," Tom murmured to his wife, taking her hand in his and squeezing it as they followed Suzy.

"She is," Sybil agreed, watching her daughter with loving eyes. "But that's all thanks to you, of course," she told him, returning the squeeze.

"Me?" Tom scoffed.

"Yes, you," Sybil playfully argued, pinching his arm. "If not for you, she wouldn't be spending her Saturday at this beautiful orchard, she wouldn't have Margaret dispensing 'apple advice' to her," she giggled, but then grew serious, her free hand rising up to hold her son. "She wouldn't have a beautiful baby brother…"

"Syb…" Tom moved in front of her to stop her momentarily, his own expression serious, but also tender. "I love you, and I love Suzy, and I'm so, so happy that we're a family, but please don't underestimate yourself and your own abilities to make Suzy happy—"

"I'm not," Sybil assured, sniffing back a tear that threatened to fall down her cheek. "Suzy and I did have happy moments when it was just the two of us, I know that, but…" she reached up and covered his hand which had moved to cup her cheek and wipe away that stray tear with his thumb. "But sometimes, when I look at her, and I see her smile or hear her laugh, especially when she's with your mother, or your siblings and their children, or with you and…and Aidan…" she paused to take a deep breath in an effort to swallow back the emotion that was lodged in her throat. "It's the sort of happiness one dreams of giving their child," she explained, her voice soft. "And you make that possible…not just for her, but for both of us."

"For _all_ of us," Tom murmured, wrapping his arms around Sybil, careful not to crush Aidan, who continued sleeping. "Don't forget, love, if not for you, I'd still be leading my rather boring bachelor life and not realize everything I was missing…and not a day goes by when I'm not thankful for those grunts you were making in your attempt to move furniture."

Sybil swatted his chest, laughing despite the tears that were flowing down her face. Tom laughed and tightened his hold around her. "What? I'm just saying that if you hadn't made those sounds, I may not have been curious to find out what was happening with my new next-door neighbor—"

"Mummy! Daddy!"

Sybil and Tom sighed, knowing this moment between them would have to wait until later, otherwise Suzy would lose her patience and come to drag them away. But before they did, Tom leaned forward, kissed Sybil's cheeks, and whispered, "I love you too, and you make _me_ so, so very happy."

Sybil reached up to caress his cheek, clearly yearning to linger there longer, just the two of them (well, two and a half, really), but another insistent groan from their daughter told them to save that moment for the time being. They quickly found Suzy, who was leaning against a fence, Margaret next to her, gazing at the draft horses that were galloping and grazing in a nearby field.

"There you are!" Suzy gasped, reaching out and grabbing at her parents hands. "Look!" she pointed at the horses. "They're huge!"

"Aye, they're work horses," Margaret explained. "They have to be that big because they need to be strong enough to pull things."

Suzy looked up at her grandmother with curious eyes. "What kind of things?"

"Oh, well, once upon a time, they would have pulled plows through a field…but I imagine now, they're more likely to pull wagons—"

"Oh, Suzy, look!" Sybil interrupted, and pointed to the distance where two of those huge horses could be seen pulling a wagon, one filled with hay bales and people.

"It's a hayride," Tom observed.

Suzy's little eyes grew huge. "CAN WE GO!? CAN WE GO!?"

Margaret threw her head back and laughed. "So much for apples," she sighed.

Suzy looked a little guilty then, but Margaret shook her head, giving the child a reassuring smile. "Go on, it's a special day and there will still be plenty of apples to pick when you get back."

Suzy grinned and glanced at her parents excitedly. "Wait until I tell everyone about THIS in class next week!"

 _To be continued..._


	9. October 9

_HAPPY LADY SYBIL LIVES WEEK! Today is "Sexy Shenanigans Sunday", so in honor of the day's theme, this chapter is T-rated (things are "alluded" to, shall we say) ;o) It's a little silly, but hopefully it will make you grin and possibly blush (and maybe even fan yourself slightly) :oP THANK YOU FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 9** _ **—"Vampire"**_

It was Margaret's idea that both Suzy and Aidan spend Sunday afternoon with her. On the drive home from the apple orchard, Margaret regaled Suzy with stories about all the different things one could make with apples, and Suzy was eager to learn more, so she and her grandmother struck a deal that they would spend Sunday afternoon together, with Suzy as Margaret's kitchen apprentice. As for Aidan, he usually went down for a long nap in the middle of the afternoon, so Margaret insisted she take the baby as well, thus giving Tom and Sybil some time together…alone.

Tom silently wondered if this was spurred on by the fact that his mother had caught both he and Sybil in several passionate embraces the day before (or as passionate as one could be when there was a baby between them). He also felt a bit guilty, as if he were taking advantage of his mother's help when it came to the children. However, his mother was quick to tell him to shush over such concerns, that she loved and adored spending time with her grandchildren, and that all parents deserved a "break" unto themselves every so often. Looking over at his wife, Tom didn't have to be convinced further.

While the children were with their grandmother, Tom and Sybil were at home, snogging on the sofa like a pair of randy teenagers. "We should…move this…to the bedroom…don't you think?" Sybil asked him between kisses.

"Aye…we will…we will…" he groaned against her mouth, unable to tear himself away, just enjoying the softness of her arms and the feel of her body beneath his.

Sybil giggled against his lips and shifted her weight just slightly, unknowingly shifting it over the remote control which was buried in the couch cushions. They both jumped when the sound of a woman's scream filled the room, and looked across at the television, where the source of the scream had come.

Bela Lugosi, in all his Dracula glory, was moving in for the bite, his arms spread, his cape billowing, and the music rising as he drew closer and closer.

"Where is it?" Sybil muttered, trying to find the remote to turn the TV off. She finally located it and did just that, but was surprised to see that Tom was still gazing at the screen, as if transfixed by it. "Darling?"

He blinked and looked down at her, a blush coloring his face, but a curious light filling his eyes. "Do you have an opinion on vampires?"

Sybil's eyes widened with surprise. "Vampires?" she repeated the word. Was he being serious? "As in…do I believe they exist?"

"No, I don't mean that, I…" his face darkened even further. "What I mean is…do you think they're scary? Or…" his voice trailed off, as if he were suddenly feeling embarrassed for bringing this up in the first place.

Sybil's curiosity was growing more and more. "…Or?" she gently pushed.

Tom sighed and sheepishly looked back at her. "Or…sexy?" He looked so embarrassed, and then quickly tried to explain himself. "What I mean is…some women find vampires…sexy, you know?"

Sybil bit her lip, trying her best not to laugh. "True," she murmured in agreement. "I honestly never gave it much thought…but I suppose it would depend upon the vampire." She watched him closely. "Why do you ask?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders, as if this were such a natural question to ask out of the blue. "Just curious," he mumbled.

Sybil arched a brow. "Oh really?"

Tom nodded his head innocently. "You know, I'm going to use the loo really quick...I'll be right back," he explained, and then leapt to his feet and quickly fled the room, leaving Sybil puzzled in his wake.

Why on earth had he asked her about vampires? It was such a random question, even if it had been inspired by the film that was showing on the TV. She sat up and smoothed her hair back, straightening her clothes slightly, blushing as she noticed several buttons undone on her blouse—

"Good evening…"

Sybil turned her head and gasped at the sight of her husband…standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, a long black cape with a high collar draped across his broad shoulders.

Her hand flew to her mouth to hide the laugh that threatened to break forth, but it was too late—he had seen it.

"Syb…" Tom groaned, rolling his eyes and breaking character.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just…I wasn't expecting…" she couldn't stop herself, she was shaking with laughter.

Tom sighed and shook his head. "Well so much for that."

"Oh, darling…" despite her laughter, she felt bad for possibly hurting his feelings, or causing him embarrassment. She rose from the couch and crossed the room to him, but froze…when she saw something…

"Tom…?"

He looked back at her, his brow furrowing. "What?"

Sybil pointed at his lips. "Are…are those…?" her gaze narrowed as she stared at him. "Your teeth…"

Tom blinked for a moment…and then a wolfish grin began to spread across his face, and Sybil gasped as she got a much better glimpse of her husband's secret surprise.

It was more than just the black cape. He was wearing…FANGS!

"I saw them at the costume shop on Friday; they fit over a person's canines," he explained.

"They look so real!" Sybil gasped, her eyes widening as Tom showed them off to her.

A rather devilish look passed over his handsome features. "So…do you like them?"

They were startling, however…Sybil couldn't quite explain it, but…looking at Tom, all dressed up as Dracula…she suddenly found herself feeling very turned-on. _Well, I did say it would depend on the vampire,_ she reminded herself. And whatever the roleplay, Tom would always have that power over her.

"You look faint, love…" he murmured in a low, deep voice, his arms weaving around her and pulling her flush against him. "Allow me…"

Sybil gasped and happily melted in his arms as he swept her up and proceeded to carry her to the bedroom.

"Don't worry," he playfully growled as he nuzzled her neck. "I promise I won't bite… _too hard_."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _Mmmmmm, Tom Branson, vampire? ;o)  
_


	10. October 10

_In honor of today's LSL's theme ("Family & Friendship") I decided to bring a certain "former footman" into this story. So for those of you who are fans of Sybil and Thomas "bromance", here you go! :oD_

* * *

 **OCTOBER 10** _ **–"cider doughnuts"**_

"'Morning, Thomas!" Sybil greeted as she entered the nurse's locker room on Monday morning. Thomas was the only other "English" nurse that she knew, originally from Yorkshire like herself (though from a much less "posh" background).

"'Morning, Crawley," he returned, knowing full well that it would get a bit of a rise out of her. She had been married for almost a year, but he continued to call her by her maiden name, regardless.

Sybil rolled her eyes and opened her locker. "And just for that, I think I'll keep these all to myself."

Thomas seemed to notice the box she was clutching to her chest. "What's in the box?" he asked, ignoring her previous comment.

Sybil eyed him with a haughty look. "As you know, Tom, his mother, and I took the children to an apple orchard this past Saturday, and they just so happen to make the most delicious cinnamon-sugar cider doughnuts…" she opened the box to make her point, and smiled as she watched Thomas' eyes widened and his mouth fall open, looking as if he were going to start drooling. He even started to reach for one of the doughnuts, but Sybil quickly snapped the box shut before his hand could claim its prize. "…But I think I'll share with them with the nurses on Ward B instead."

"You'll do no such thing," Thomas muttered, reaching for the box again. "Don't waste those on the hags in Ward B."

"Oi!" Sybil swatted at his hands. "Don't call them that, they're perfectly…" she was going to say "nice", but she remembered a few of those nurses, and how cold they had been towards her when she first started.

"My point exactly," Thomas muttered, reaching for the doughnuts again.

"Stop it!" Sybil scolded, though she also laughed, especially when he put on a pout. "Seriously, I got them for ALL the nursing staff in our ward."

"I'm not going to eat the entire box," he groaned with a roll of his eyes. "After all, I have my manly figure to consider."

Sybil groaned and shook her head, but finally relented and allowed him at long last to remove a doughnut from the box. "Mmmmm…" Thomas happily groaned, licking the cinnamon-sugar off his fingers. "On second thought, maybe I will—"

Sybil swatted his hands away from the box, which did Thomas to chuckle. "You should have brought two boxes; those things will be gone before the hour is out."

He was probably right. After tasting one for herself at the orchard, she wisely insisted they buy a box just for their family. She set the box aside, and proceeded to take her coat off and hang it in her locker. Thomas continued munching on his doughnut, savoring it as best he could, and leaning against her locker as she finished getting ready.

"Hey, what are you doing on the 22nd?"

Sybil glanced up at him, her brow furrowing at his question. "Is that a Saturday?"

Thomas nodded his head. "Roughly two weeks," he clarified.

"Um…why? Do you need to change shifts, or…?"

Thomas chuckled and shook his head. "No, Crawley, that's when my party is."

Sybil's eyebrows rose. "Party?"

Thomas nodded and handed a piece of paper to her. "Is this my invitation?" she asked him, teasing him slightly because it was simply a torn piece of notebook paper with his address and a time listed.

"Yeah, well, what I don't spend on fancy posh invitations, I make up for in booze and sweets," he told her with a wink. "Seriously, my Halloween parties here are _legendary_ —you don't want to miss it. I'll even let you bring that husband of yours along," he teased, turning to look at the picture Sybil had taped up in her locker, one she took at the end of summer of Tom holding both Aidan and Suzy. "Maybe he has a brother he can introduce me too…"

Sybil playfully pushed his shoulder away from her locker, before grabbing the doughnut box and shutting it. "We'll see…I would need to find a sitter for the kids."

"Can't Tom's mother look after them?"

Sybil frowned. "I'm grateful for all that Margaret does, but I sometimes worry that we're taking advantage of her willingness to babysit—"

"She's a grandmother, that's what they do," Thomas reminded, leaping away before Sybil could swat him.

Other nurses were filing into the room now, a sign that their shift was about to start. Sybil put her identification tag around her neck, and placed the box of doughnuts on the break table just inside the room, swatting Thomas' hand away as he tried to reach for a second one. "Share," she warned. "Honestly, Thomas, you're worse than Suzy."

Thomas opened his mouth to say something back, but paused…and pointed at her neck. "What's that?"

Sybil's smile faded. "What?"

Thomas peered closer. "Did something…bite you?"

Sybil's eyes widened and her hand flew to her neck. "No," she mumbled, before quickly turning and walking away before he could question her further. Thomas simply shrugged his shoulders…before taking another doughnut.

 _To be continued..._


	11. October 11

_Here it is, the "class trip" to the pumpkin patch! Which is rather perfect for today's theme in LSL Week of "DRAMA"! :oO  
_

 _Dedicating this one to **incognito-princess** , who might be able to relate as she is a teacher, herself ;o) Also, she mentioned something about a "hot dad" who would help chaperone school events... ;oP_

* * *

 **October 11** _ **—"Corn Maze"**_

"' _It'll be fun'_ , she said, _'All the kids will love you!'_ she said…" Tom muttered to himself. Fun the last thing he was having. As for the other children "loving" him as Suzy so adamantly proclaimed…if that were true, then why were they all running away from him? And those other parents—the various mothers of some of Suzy's classmates who always accompanied the children on these trips—they weren't any help! They were far too preoccupied with _him_ it seemed, than keeping a watchful on the children! And why he was the chaperone designated to take the class into the corn maze…he didn't know, but somehow he was the one saddled with the task, and now he was lost and had also lost Suzy's whole class (including Suzy), and when he thought he saw a child, they simply giggled and ran in the opposite direction!

THIS WAS MADNESS! "I'm never doing this again," he muttered to himself. He hated to let Suzy down, but this was just going to have to be a hard fact she'd need to learn and deal with.

It wasn't as if he didn't like children—far from it! He adored his nieces and nephews, and of course he loved his own, but…chaperoning an entire class? No, he was not cut out for such things.

"God, I wish Sybil were here," he groaned to himself, and not for the first time. One, she was brilliant with mazes and puzzles, and would no doubt have all of them through the bloody thing twice by now, two, people just naturally seemed to listen to her, especially children; she wasn't afraid to raise her voice and speak sternly if she had to, and three...her presence, he would like to think, would discourage the other women's advances at least a little bit.

Alright, perhaps he was being a bit unfair in that regard. Sybil was always teasing him about being _"frightfully full of himself"_ and this would be an example of that. These women were hardly "throwing themselves" at him or anything like that, just...they seemed to hover around or near him, smiling and laughing whenever he spoke (even when he wasn't trying to be humorous), tucking their hair behind their ears and leaning closer than was necessary…

Sybil would probably roll her eyes at him if she could hear his thoughts. He groaned and shook his head. Did it even matter? No, it didn't, what mattered was finding Suzy's class and getting out of this bloody maze!

"Alright!" he shouted. "Come on! Where are you!?" He needed to sound like he meant business; he needed to be firm, but at the same time, not too stern that he would frighten them away. "Come on, time to come out!"

He heard giggling off to his right. He whipped his head in the direction of where the giggling had come from, and heard a squeal as he caught sight of two little heads peeking out from behind a row of corn stalks.

"AH HA!"

The squeals became screams, though not frightened screams. Rather, screams of delight, and the two little bodies attached to the two little heads, sprinted in the opposite direction, much to Tom's annoyance. "No, come back here!" he shouted, but the children didn't listen. This was all some elaborate game to them! And he had no choice but to race off in the direction they had gone. "COME BACK!" he roared, but the children continued giggling and running and…good Lord, how were they out-running him? His legs were longer, but—NO!

They had darted around a corner, a corner he hadn't even SEEN in the maze until he was upon it, and when he ran around it—they were gone.

Tom leaned forward, his hands coming to rest atop his knees, as he took a moment to catch his breath. "There has to be an easier way…" he thought to himself. Just as he straightened himself up, he was suddenly stumbling forward by the force of another person running into his back.

"Oh! Mr. Branson, I'm so sorry!" came a feminine voice. Even though she was apologizing, she didn't really sound that apologetic. Tom turned and met the dancing green eyes of Mrs. Donnelly, one of the other chaperones. She smiled at him, and then seemed to remember that she had run into him, and her features quickly changed to concern. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" she asked, her hand rising to grasp his forearms and…was it his imagination or was she squeezing the muscle?

"I'm fine, thank you," he quickly assured her, and took a step back, putting some distance between them. Mrs. Donnelly seemed to notice what he had done, and suddenly her face flooded with color and she too took a step back.

"Well…these children have certainly given us the slip, haven't they?" she attempted to joke in an effort to ease any awkward tension.

"Aye, that they have," he sighed, his hands going to his hips as he looked around the corn maze from where they were standing.

"My son tells me you're a writer…"

Tom was surprised by the sudden change of subject. With a furrowed brow, he nodded his head. "Aye, I write for—"

"He also told me about how you used to babysit for Suzy…before you married her mother, obviously," she said with a bit of a light-hearted laugh. She gazed at him then in a way that could only be described as "admiringly". "I think that's so noble…" she murmured, more to herself than to him, but he had heard it.

Tom swallowed and awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry?"

Mrs. Donnelly looked a little dreamy-eyed then. "It's like the plot to a romantic film…the handsome man-next-door who befriends the child of a single-mother, and then through that child they grow closer and closer…" as she spoke, she was leaning closer and closer.

Tom cleared his throat again. "Right, um…well, I suppose there are some similarities—"

Tom whirled around at the feel of corn pelting his back. His eyes grew large as he caught sight of Suzy and several other children, all giggling and then screaming as he took off after them, leaving Mrs. Donnelly behind with her romantic murmurings.

He sprinted at full blast, and unlike before, they were running in such a way that they didn't know where they were going. _No one's giving me the slip THIS time_ , he vowed to himself. He ran around a corner and practically cheered in triumph as he realized he had them right where he wanted them…at a dead-end.

"Right…" he stared them all down. "It's time for you all to follow me out of this maze."

The children, who were playfully "cowering" now looked extremely disappointed. "Awwww…" they groaned.

Tom opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped short by the call of Mrs. Quincy, their teacher, from somewhere beyond the maze. "Come along, children! Time to get your pumpkins!"

"YES, MRS. QUINCY!" they all chorused together, and without further word or protest, calmly walked past Tom…and to his shock, filed out of the maze by an exit which was only TEN BLOODY FEET AWAY from where he was standing.

He felt a tiny hand slip into his and he looked down at a grinning Suzy. "Did you know about that?" he asked her, pointing at the exit. Suzy just giggled and nodded her head.

As she led him out of the maze, he heard her declare, "This was so much fun! I'm so glad you came with us! All of the other kids were saying how 'cool' you were, and how much fun they had, playing tag with you in the maze."

Tom looked down at her, her large blue eyes, the same eyes as Sybil's, looking adoringly back up at him, and his heart melted. He knew, despite his earlier thoughts, that he would be attending more school functions when the need arose.

 _To be continued..._


	12. October 12

_Today's theme for LSL Week is "thoroughly modern Sybil!" in reference to flapper!Sybil. Now you might be wondering "what does that have to do with a modern AU?" Well, you'll see :oP THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 12** _ **—"Spiders"**_

"Has Tom talked at all about what he's going to dress up as?"

Sybil felt her cheeks warm at her mother-in-law's question, and her hand absently rose to rub a spot on her neck. "He bought a cape last Friday when he took Suzy costume shopping," Sybil explained.

Margaret's eyes widened with surprise. "A cape?"

Sybil nodded, pulling her collar up a little higher. "MmmHmm, a vampire cape."

"A vampire?" Margaret pursed her lips at this bit of information, and then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's simple, I'll give him that."

"Mummy!" Suzy called out. She was a few feet ahead of her mother and grandmother, and was admiring a bolt of black silk fabric that had a silver design of some kind decorated across it. "Look at this, Mummy, isn't it beautiful?"

Margaret had rung Sybil while she was on her way home from the hospital, announcing that she was going to the fabric store to try and find some material for Sybil's costume. Sybil's face paled at Margaret's words, not realizing that her mother-in-law had been serious about actually making her that "witch's costume" they had joked about over a week ago. Margaret then proceeded to tell Sybil that after a few costume dramas she had watched a few nights ago had given her several interesting ideas, and didn't want to miss an opportunity to get started while the iron was hot. But she wanted to get Sybil's opinion as well, so asked Sybil to please join her on her shopping excursion. Suzy had overheard the conversation and begged her mother to come along, leaving Tom behind to look after Aidan (he was still recovering from Suzy's class trip to the pumpkin patch).

Margaret pushed her shopping trolley forward and examined the fabric Suzy was admiring. "Aye, it is beautiful, very much so…" she murmured, clearly visualizing what she would do with it if she had it in her possession.

"What's this design?" Sybil asked, her fingers running over the silvery detail.

"Well, let's find out, shall we?" Margaret grinned at Suzy and with her granddaughter's help, carefully managed to unroll the fabric from the bolt to catch a glimpse of its hidden design.

Suzy gasped as the design was slowly revealed. "SPIDERS!"

"Spiders!?" Sybil repeated, sounding far less enthusiastic about the revelation than her daughter.

"Spider webs to be more precise," Margaret clarified. "Although—well, yes, that image is a 'spider', I suppose, though nothing too graphic; certainly no different than the spider on that one superhero's costume."

"Spider-Man," Suzy clarified for her grandmother.

Sybil looked at the sign over the display where the bolt of fabric had been found. It simply read "SEASONAL", but seeing as how most of the fabrics in this "seasonal" section were various shades of orange and black, and some with cartoonish images of ghosts and monsters, she supposed this particular bolt had been found in good company.

"It's pretty…" Suzy murmured, running her hands over the unfolded fabric, her fingers tracing the silver spider-web design.

"I happen to agree with you," Margaret murmured, taking the fabric in her hands and holding it up to Sybil's shoulders. "It's a bit sheer, but nothing wrong with that…in fact for what I have in mind, it's rather perfect, really!"

"What _do_ you have in mind?" Sybil asked, and then shook her head at the question. "Margaret, I appreciate what you're offering to do, but you really don't need to—"

"Oh hush," Margaret interrupted. "I _want_ to do this; it's been ages since I had a sewing challenge and it's not every day a woman gets to try her hands at making a costume!"

"Do it, Nana, do it!" Suzy encouraged, despite the scolding look her mother was giving her.

"I think I shall," Margaret murmured to herself, before plucking the bolt right off the shelf. "I think I shall, indeed!"

Sybil's eyes widened in horror as she watched Margaret place the fabric in her trolley. "What, the ENTIRE bolt?"

"Better to have too much than too little!" Margaret answered, pushing the trolley towards the front of the shop where the cash registers were located.

"But Margaret—"

"No buts!" Margaret cut in, fixing Sybil with a look that dared her to argue the matter further. "I've made up my mind; this is the fabric we'll use for your costume!"

"YAY!" Suzy cheered.

"Suzy," Sybil growled, but her daughter paid no heed. Sybil groaned and followed the two. It was a pointless battle, she knew; it hadn't taken Sybil long to learn where Tom's stubbornness had come from (although Margaret beat them in that contest). "Alright, will you at least let me help pay for it?"

Margaret frowned and swatted at Sybil's hands as they were reaching for her purse. "Stop that, this is a gift, my dear! Besides, the fabric was on sale," she added with a little wink. Sybil sighed in defeat.

"What will Mummy's costume look like?" Suzy asked, eager to hear more of her grandmother's idea.

Margaret grinned. "Well, because your Mummy is a very special lady, this can't just be any old witch's costume. And I was rather inspired by this show I like to watch that's set in the 1920's—"

"1920's?" Sybil repeated. She had been leaning close, hanging on to every word as her mother-in-law explained the costume design to Suzy.

Margaret grinned. "How would you like to be a flapper witch?"

Sybil's eyes widened. _"Flapper_ witch!?"

Suzy looked confused. "Mummy, what's a flapper?"

 _To be continued..._


	13. October 13

_Today's LSL Week theme is "romance and fluff", so for anyone who wondered what happened on that hayride Tom and Sybil (and Suzy) took a few chapters back...well, you're about to find out ;o) THANKS FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 13** _ **—"Hayride"**_

"Hello, stranger," a familiar voice murmured over Tom's shoulder.

His eyes widened and he turned around, surprised (and delighted) by the sight of his wife. "What are you doing here?" he gasped, and then sheepishly blushed, knowing how that must have sounded. "Sorry, just…I'm surprised—I thought you were working till five?"

Sybil laughed and wove her arms around her husband's waist. "There was a mistake in the shift schedule—Donna Fitzgibbins arrived, thinking she was taking over for me at three, and…well, I chose not to argue the matter and thought I would surprise both you and Suzy," she explained.

Tom's face split into a wide grin and he wove his own arms around his wife. "Well I am surprised, but also glad," he told her, bending his head to kiss her.

Sybil gladly returned the kiss…and then seemed to notice that unlike the previous Saturday, there was no baby to protest when their bodies touched. "Where's—?"

"With Mam," Tom explained. "She stopped by right before I left; I don't know what you got up to last night at the fabric store, but she announced that she had most 'brilliant idea' for Aidan, and wanted to take his measurements."

"Oh Lord," Sybil groaned. "I told her not to overwork herself—"

At that, Tom laughed. "Mam? _Slow down?_ Never," Tom sighed. "And once she gets an idea into her heads, there's no stopping her."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Sybil murmured, her hands reaching down to squeeze his bum.

"Hey!" Tom laughed, growling into her neck, his breath warm against that sensitive spot where he had "nibbled" over the weekend. They were both so playfully engrossed in each other that Tom hadn't realized they had attracted an audience until he heard a rather loud "AHEM!" coming from one of the other mothers standing nearby.

They both looked up and heat flooded their faces as they took in the different stares around them. Some of the women looked down their noses at them, no doubt thinking that Tom and Sybil should feel "ashamed" for their sordid behavior, while other women appeared to looking rather…longingly…at Tom (and perhaps rather envious at Sybil!)

Sybil recalled her husband's story from Tuesday, when he had "endured" the class trip to the pumpkin patch. Suzy had mentioned that Tom had been very popular with the other kids _and_ the other mothers who chaperoned, to which Tom's face turned a bright shade of red. Sybil didn't inquire further, she was well aware of her husband's good looks and warm personality, however she had thought the story a _slight_ exaggeration. Yet based on the looks they— _HE_ —seemed to be receiving just now…

"Mr. Branson! OH! And Mrs. Branson?"

Tom and Sybil turned to see Mrs. Quincy, Suzy's teacher approach them. Her smile was kind, and Suzy happened to be standing by her side, beaming up at her teacher and her parents.

"It's lovely to see the both of you," Mrs. Quincy continued. "I was wondering if I might have a word…"

Tom and Sybil nervously glanced at one another. Even as adults, hearing a teacher say "if I might have word" never sounded positive.

"Is everything alright?" Tom asked, squeezing Sybil's hand for support.

"Oh yes," Mrs. Quincy assured. "Yes, just splendid, I simply wanted to…let you know…about Suzy's speech that she gave today."

Sybil's eyes widened and she looked down at her daughter with surprise. "You gave a speech today?"

"We've asked the students to share 'favorite autumn memories' for the last few weeks; Suzy volunteered to give her speech for the class today. It was quite…illuminating," Mrs. Quincy added, still smiling sweetly at the family, but it was clear there was something else as well, especially when she used that word "illuminating".

"I talked about our trip to the orchard!" Suzy explained, a wild grin on her face.

"Oh?" Tom and Sybil exchanged a look. That sounded innocent…enough.

"Yes, Suzy talked all about the apples she picked, about the recipes her grandmother shared with her and the different kinds of apples to go with them, about seeing the horses, and of course, about…the hayride."

Tom and Sybil paled, before their faces flooded with color. _The hayride…_

Tom cleared his throat and forced a smile as he looked down at his daughter. "And um…what did you say, me darlin'?"

Suzy grinned back at up at him. "I talked about what they wagon looked like, how scratchy the straw was, and how it was so easy to lose your balance and fall backwards into the hay—like you and mummy did."

Tom swallowed and Sybil fidgeted beside him.

"They had passed blankets around for everyone," Suzy continued, repeating her speech from earlier, though unlike her classmates, her parents knew all too well what had occurred. "The blankets were to sit on, so the straw wouldn't scratch you, but some people used them to cuddle, like you and daddy," Suzy explained to her mother.

Sybil bit her lip and Tom fought off a groan.

"Daddy brought the blanket up to your chins, and then Mummy started to giggle, and then you kept falling back into the hay, tugging the blanket higher, and then Mummy made a sound—"

"What a lovely speech!" Tom interrupted, forcing a smile and bending down to scoop Suzy up in his arms and kiss her daughter on the cheek.

"Yes, quite so," Sybil agreed, her face the color of beets, but like her husband, she too wore a brilliant smile. "Well, I think this deserves a treat, don't you, Tom?"

"Aye, I think it does; we should be off."

Sybil turned back to Mrs. Quincy and murmured her thanks for "alerting them" to Suzy's speech

"I just wanted you and Mr. Branson to be aware," Mrs. Quincy whispered. "Mr. Branson was quite popular with the children…and the other chaperones…and the children do seem to like to share Suzy's stories about her family with their own, _especially_ her father."

A sudden wave of possessiveness washed over Sybil, and she reached out and wrapped a protective (and possessive) arm around Tom's waist. "Thank you for that insight," Sybil mumbled to the teacher, already making a mental note that the next time Tom was asked to help with chaperoning a class trip, to make sure she knew well enough in advance to reschedule her shifts so she could attend as well. Not that he needed her to "look out" for him, of course, but for reasons of…spousal support…of course.

"Did you _really_ say all that about the hayride?" Sybil asked Suzy as they walked away from the school.

Suzy gave her mother an innocent smile and a sweet nod of the head. "Mrs. Quincy said my speech was very 'entertaining', and I know that must be true, because my speech got the best reactions from the class when I gave it."

Tom looked nervously at Sybil, before asking, "What kind of reactions?"

"Everyone was giggling, and then making faces when I mentioned how you both were kissing—"

"Darling," Sybil interrupted once more. "Next time you have to give a speech, why don't you practice in front of _us_ first?"

 _To be continued..._


	14. October 14

_Today happens to be EAST Alliance Day (EAST = Edith, Anthony, Sybil, Tom) and so in honor of that day, this particular chapter has an "EAST" theme :o) dedicating this to any and all Andith shippers :oD_

* * *

 **October 14** _ **—"Mask"**_

"… _A flapper witch?"_

Sybil sighed but smiled to herself. "That's what she said—and no, I haven't seen it."

" _Still, that's awfully nice of her, making you a costume_ ," Edith told Sybil over the phone. It was her sister's birthday, and Sybil had rung to see if Edith had received her card and the package Sybil had sent her. She smiled to herself as she listened to her sister speak; eighteen months ago, this conversation wouldn't have happened, as Sybil was still wary of her family after the ordeal involving Jonathon. She was glad things had worked out; she hadn't realized how much she missed that connection with her family, especially her sisters, until after they had all come to Dublin to help her when Jonathon had taken Suzy.

" _...I wish we still wore costumes to the Downton Masquerade Ball; but Granny finds them vulgar."_

Sybil rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself. "That sounds like her."

" _It's a miracle she still allows people to wear masks. That's all it is, really; fancy dress wearing masks."_

"Well, despite what he says, I highly doubt Thomas' party will be anything like Downton's."

" _Exactly, his party will probably be more fun!"_

Sybil laughed. Edith was a great deal more "open" and "free" with herself than she remembered. Maybe it helped that her sister was now living in London, and had managed to "get away" from Downton's rigid rules? Sybil knew her childhood home would always have a special place in her heart, but at the same time, she was glad to be away from it.

" _You'll never guess who I ran into the other day…"_

Sybil's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. "Who?"

There was a pause, and then Edith murmured, _"…Do you remember Sir Anthony Strallan?"_

Sybil frowned; the name sounded familiar, but she was having a hard time remembering the man's face. "Did he…live close by?" she asked.

" _His estate is Locksley, which isn't that far from Downton. His late wife was a good friend of Granny's, apparently. He came to Downton every so often when we were children to speak with Papa about land management—he's rather brilliant when it comes to land and agriculture…"_

Was it Sybil's imagination? Or did Edith's voice take on a somewhat "dreamy" tone?

" _Anyway, I happened to run into him while I was attending a charity event with Aunt Rosamond. She recognized him first, and he made our way towards us, bowed in a way that I wish men did more often, and introduced himself—"_

"Edith?" Sybil interrupted. She wasn't exactly sure how to say this, but she tried. "Are you…seeing him?"

For a long time, she didn't hear anything on the other end of the line, and Sybil feared that maybe the connection had dropped, but before she could pull the phone away from her ear, she heard…giggling?

Edith was giggling! And then whispering, as if they were on the schoolyard together and she didn't want her "crush" to overhear them.

" _Nothing's happened…_ yet," Edith merrily giggled. _"He lingered to speak with me after Aunt Rosamond moved on to talk to somebody else, and he offered to buy me a drink, which I allowed…and we just started talking…and before I knew it, I realized that we had been sitting and talking and smiling and laughing for an hour, before Aunt Rosamond came to fetch me."_

Sybil's eyes widened. If she hadn't already guessed based on the way Edith spoke, then her sister's wistful sigh at the end determined her suspicions: Edith was in love.

" _I know he's much older,"_ Edith went on, confronting the elephant in the room. _"He's Papa's age, and Mary finds the whole thing revolting."_

Sybil gasped. "Mary knows?"

" _No, not yet,"_ Edith sighed, sounding more weary than wistful. _"But I know her, Sybil; that's exactly how she'll respond when she does."_

"Oh Edith," Sybil sighed. She wished there was something she could do to make her sisters not go at each other's throats so. "Mary may surprise you; don't assume the worst. And besides!" she quickly added. "The only person whose opinion matters in this whole thing is YOURS!"

There was another pause, and Sybil thought she could sense her sister possibly smiling at the other end. _"I know, you're right, of course, on all counts—and I know he and I have only really just met…or reconnected, I suppose…but I_ really _like him, Sybil; in fact, he's taking me out for dinner tonight,"_ she added, no doubt blushing on her side.

"Oh Edith, that's wonderful!" Sybil grinned, truly happy for her sister.

" _Yes, and…and I think I'm going to ask him to be my date to the Downton Masquerade—do you think that's a good idea?"_

"Actually…I think that's a rather splendid idea," Sybil told her, pride filling her chest on her sister's behalf. "And a great way to 'reintroduce' him to the family."

" _I think so too…oh, but I'm jumping to conclusions; we haven't even had dinner yet, our first date; he might change his mind—"_

"Darling, I wasn't there when you two met, but based on what you've told me, and how you sound…I think it's safe to say that he _won't_ change his mind," Sybil assured. "You deserve to be happy, Edith; so don't let fear or uncertainty try and stop you."

There was another pause, and when Sybil next heard her sister's voice, Edith sounded a little choked up, managing to mumble, _"thank you, Sybil…you have no idea what that means to me…"_

Sybil smiled into the phone, her own throat tightening with emotion as well.

"Love? We're back!"

 _"Oh! Is that Tom?"_

Sybil quickly wiped at her eyes and smiled. "Yes, he and Suzy went to get us a pizza," she explained.

 _"Well, I won't keep you from it."_

"Yes, you should get ready for this big dinner date!" Sybil teased. "And call me tomorrow; I want to hear how it went!"

 _"We'll see,"_ Edith murmured mischievously, before promising that she would. The sisters murmured words of affection to one another before finally ending the call. Sybil gazed down at the phone for a moment, before turning and moving quickly into the kitchen. Suzy was setting plates on the table, while Tom was fetching them something to drink from the fridge. Sybil came up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his shoulder blades.

Tom straightened and then turned in her arms, his own coming around her. "What brought this on?" he gently teased.

Sybil smiled up at him and leaned up on her tip toes to kiss him. "True love," was her answer.

 _To be continued..._


	15. October 15

_This is a bit of a "two-parter" within this story. For anyone who has a sibling that they love dearly but find incredibly annoying at times... ;oP_

* * *

 **October 15** _ **—"Full Moon"**_

"They're here! THEY'RE HERE!" Suzy cried as she watched the car pull up to their building from outside. Sybil glanced at Tom and the two of them exchanged a "here we go!" look, before smiling and joining Suzy who was already out the door and rushing down the stairs to greet her cousins.

"Kieran, Clare, good to see you," Tom greeted, holding his arm out to his brother, who happily took it before pulling Tom into a hug.

"Are you sure about this?" Clare, Kieran's wife, quietly fussed. "I know it was last minute—"

"It's fine, truly," Sybil assured, squeezing Clare's shoulder, before hugging her brother-in-law.

"I see it as an equal exchange!" Kieran chuckled. "We get Aidan and Suzy next Saturday, so it's only right that they get ours this weekend!"

"Aye, but we're only taking two of yours, not all five," Tom muttered, before sending up a silent prayer of gratitude for that.

"I tried to convince the boys to come, told them they were going to miss out on an evening of make-overs and rom coms, but for some reason, that didn't convince them."

"Could it be because they're twelve, fourteen, and seventeen?" Sybil laughed. "And I have to say, Kieran, I rather resent your stereotype a girl's slumber party."

"Oh, you misunderstand; when I said 'make-over', I meant that tomorrow when we pick the girls up, they'll be well-versed in Wollstoecraft and Pankhurst."

This earned a chuckle from all the adults, including Sybil. However, Suzy and her cousins were quite eager to begin their slumber party, and Suzy was already trying to lead the other two girls to the flat. "Come on, Mummy, Daddy!" Suzy groaned, attempting to drag one of her cousins' suitcases.

"Alright, alright, hang on, me darlin'," Tom sighed, giving his brother and sister-in-law a weary look. "No rest for the wicked."

"Especially when it involves three girls under the age of ten," Clare laughed. "Now girls! Mind your uncle and auntie; when they say it's time for bed, that mean it's time _for bed_ , understand?"

"Yes, mam," the children obediently chorused.

"Aye, and be on your best behavior," Kieran instructed, before adding, "because remember! It's a full moon tonight!"

Tom frowned at his brother's warning. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Kieran simply winked at him, before turning his attention back to the girls. "Aye, it's a full moon, and you know what comes out of the shadows then, don't ye?" He threw his head back and let out a mighty howl, one that actually caused the girls to jump and the youngest one to squeal and duck behind Suzy.

Tom groaned. That would be just like his brother…riling children up before leaving them in the care of somebody else. "Alright, enough," he muttered, shoving his brother aside, who simply laughed, thinking the whole thing a great joke.

"Don't worry, girls," Kieran chuckled. "Your Uncle Tommy will protect you from all the beasties and things that go bump in the night!"

If looks could kill, Kieran would be dead twice. Clare rolled her eyes and muttered an apology to both Sybil and Tom, before tugging her husband away. "You know your Da is only joking," she murmured to her daughters as a way to assure them, bending down and kissing the tops of their heads.

"Exactly," Sybil echoed, coming around and running her hand through Suzy's hair. "Now, let's go inside and decorate some biscuits, shall we? Suzy helped make the dough earlier, and we have a batch that needs to be cut out and baked, and a batch that is cooled and ready!"

Suzy smiled at her mother's words and took her two cousins by the hand. "I got purple frosting for 'purple people eaters', and orange frosting for 'pumpkins', and green frosting for 'monsters'…"

Sybil smiled and followed her daughter and nieces inside, glancing over her shoulder and waving goodbye to Clare and Kieran, while Tom lingered a moment longer.

"Thanks a lot for that," Tom muttered after the girls were out of earshot. "I'll be sure to tell them all a story about banshees coming in the night to steal children away, next week when I drop Suzy off."

"Oh come on," Kieran laughed. "It's just a bit of fun! It's Halloween, after all! Children love spooky stories—"

"Maybe, but when their imaginations get the better of them, Sybil and I are going to have to deal with it!" he hissed.

"They're going inside to bake and decorate biscuits," Kieran argued. "I doubt they'll even remember this in an hour's time. And when you think about it, I've actually done you a favor!"

Tom blinked. _"A favor!?"_

Kieran grinned. "Aye, they won't misbehave now, not that they ever would of course, but they especially won't know, because of what I said!"

"That it's a full moon," Tom repeated, rolling his eyes. "Aye, I'll remember what you said about this being a 'favor' when they start crying and jumping at every shadow appears on the wall."

"Oh, lighten up, Tommy," Kieran sighed, before chuckling and patting his brother's shoulder. "Alright, we'll see you tomorrow afternoon at Mam's. Have a good night!"

Tom sighed and waved his brother away, before waving at Clare and turning back towards the flat once again. He hoped Kieran was right at least on that last count, that with Sybil's help, the girls would have all forgotten about his little horror story. She and Suzy had made some elaborate plans on what to do with this slumber party; Suzy had the makings of a "cruise director", packing every hour with activities for herself and her cousins. And as he entered the flat and found the girls in the kitchen, giggling and going a bit wild with the various colored frostings and sprinkles, he thought to himself, _"This is going to be alright…everything is going to be just fine…"_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 _...Do you really think it's going to be "just fine"? ;oP  
_


	16. October 16

_For those who wondered what happened during Suzy's sleepover :oP thanks for reading!_

* * *

 **October 16** _ **—"Werewolf"**_

Tom impatiently drummed his fingers against the side of his mother's sofa as he waited for his brother and sister-in-law to walk through the door. _I'm going to kill him_ , he silently thought to himself…and not for the first time.

"Tom?" He turned his head to the sound of Sybil's voice. "What are you doing?"

He sighed and rose from the sofa. "Just waiting for Kieran and Clare," he grumbled.

Sybil groaned and shook her head. "Darling, it isn't his fault—"

" _NOT HIS FAULT!?"_ Tom began, and then quickly lowered his voice when Sybil put her finger to her lips, before looking over her shoulder to make sure they hadn't drawn attention. "How can you say that?" he hissed. "They were perfectly fine until he started talking about the full moon and werewolves!"

It was at that moment that the man in question entered their mother's house. "You…" Tom growled upon seeing his brother.

Kieran raised an eyebrow at his brother's greeting. "Nice to see you too," he murmured, before turning and smiling at Sybil. "Now, where are my girls? Did you all have a 'howling' good time last night?" he chuckled.

Tom wasn't laughing, however. "You may find humor today, but I certainly don't!" he snarled. "You know what happened last night after you left?"

Kieran batted his eyes innocently. "…You decorated biscuits?"

"Kieran," Clare groaned, swatting her husband's arm. She turned apologetic eyes to Sybil then. "Did they have nightmares?"

"Oh, if only it were that simple," Tom muttered. "And no, Kieran, despite your 'guarantee', they _did not_ forget what you had told them. Once it got dark, they started to tense and jump at the slightest sound, and then the moon rose high in the sky and they began to become even more nervous, and then some dog in the neighborhood started howling—"

"That's not my fault," Kieran cut in.

"THE POINT is, that they never would have been so anxious if you HADN'T said what you said about werewolves and the full moon!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Kieran sighed, although his "apology" was very much like the one a child would give when he or she was being told to give it by a parent.

Tom snorted at his brother's apology. "And to answer your question, Clare, no, they didn't have nightmares, because they never fell asleep."

"Oh Tom," Clare sighed, looking much more apologetic than her husband. "I'm so, so sorry." She gave her husband a look that had more of an effect on him than his brother's scowl.

"Now that's not entirely true," Sybil piped up, earning a look of surprise and possible betrayal from her own husband. "What? I just mean that they did _eventually_ fall asleep," she explained.

Tom rolled his eyes. "Aye, but only after we agreed to let them into our bed," he muttered.

Kieran's attempt to look sorry quickly changed to one of amusement. "You let them into your room?"

"And into our bed," Tom muttered. "Which was a very tight fit—five people in one bed! And then Aidan somehow knew we were all in there, so he started crying, and Sybil had to get him and he wouldn't stop fussing until she brought him back—so really, it was six people—IT'S NOT FUNNY!" he growled, but Kieran couldn't stop; he was doubled over in laughter at the thought of his baby brother, being pushed out of bed by his children and nieces.

"Alright, fine, laugh it up—but next weekend, see how you like it when Suzy—ow!"

Sybil swatted Tom's shoulder and rolled her eyes. "This isn't a competition," she hissed at him. "And you're not to use Suzy and your nieces to extract 'revenge' on your brother!"

"I wasn't saying—"

"Kieran, you need to apologize to Tom and Sybil," Clare interrupted, winning a look of shock from her husband.

"I already said—"

"A _real_ apology," she emphasized, fixing him with a hard look that had him mumbling something under his breath, before turning and linking her arm with Sybil. "Show me where the girls are—I'm so sorry this happened."

"It's alright," Sybil assured Clare. "They were perfectly fine after they climbed into bed; went right to sleep."

The two mothers walked away to go and see the children in question, who were laughing and playing quite happily in the next room as if nothing had bothered them at all. Tom and Kieran remained where they were, their eyes following their wives, and each feeling a little embarrassed.

Kieran glanced at his younger brother and mumbled, "I'm sorry for scaring them."

Tom nodded his head, before adding, "And I'm sorry for implying I would 'use them' to get revenge on you."

The two brothers exchanged an awkward look. "Pub?" Kieran offered.

Tom nodded before grabbing his coat and leading the way. "Aye, you owe me one."

Kieran threw his arms up into the air. "Look, I said I was sorry!"

 _To be continued..._


	17. October 17

_So in this chapter we get a little follow-up about Edith and Sir Anthony, as well as a little info about Sybil's other sister and her (possible?) love life ;o) Thanks for reading, and I'm dedicating this chapter to **zip-goes-a-million** :o)_

* * *

 **October 17** _ **—"Skeleton"**_

"'Morning, Sybil!"

Sybil turned her head and smiled at woman who gave the greeting. Siobhan was registered midwife connected to the hospital, and who had assisted Sybil with the birth of her son. The two had quickly become friends afterwards.

"Good morning!" Sybil warmly greeted in return. "How was your weekend?"

"Ugh, busy," Siobhan groaned. "Three births, all of them a few weeks early—I'm amazed I'm still standing, I feel like a zombie."

"I can relate…well, to a point," Sybil conceded. "Naturally the tiredness I feel is nothing compared to yours, but the last few nights haven't been the most restful."

"Oh? I thought Aidan was sleeping through a bulk of the night now?"

"Oh, if only it were that simple," Sybil sighed. "Suzy had a sleepover on Saturday with two of her cousins; unfortunately, the girls got scared because of some mad story Tom's brother told them involving the full moon and werewolves. They wouldn't calm down until we allowed them into the bed with us."

"Oh my!" Siobhan gasped, though like Kieran, she too was finding it hard not to laugh at the image of Tom and Sybil with three children squeezed between them in their bed.

Unlike Tom, Sybil could see the humor in it, and so she did share in Siobhan's smile. "Yes, it wasn't the most comfortable of nights. And last night, Suzy was still finding it difficult to fall asleep by herself, so Tom and I allowed her to share our bed once again," she sighed. "She's a bit old for this, don't you think? I mean, she's never felt the need to leap into bed with us or even when it was just her and myself, she never seemed afraid of anything that a nightlight couldn't fix."

"Eight isn't so old; my son would leap into bed with me whenever there was a thunderstorm up until he was ten."

Sybil appreciated her friend's words. "Well, we're hoping that now that the full moon has passed, things will be better," or so she hoped.

"Part of it is the season," Siobhan sighed. "People are more open and susceptible to 'fear' because of Halloween—and the fact that it's getting darker earlier now."

"Ugh, that was the part I always disliked about the autumn and winter seasons; leaving work and it being so dark outside."

Siobhan nodded her head in agreement as the two of them entered the hospital and headed down to the staff locker rooms. "So besides frightened children, how else was your weekend?"

Sybil chuckled. "That was the highlight, for the most part—although I did have a chance to talk with one my sisters over the phone."

"Oh, which one?"

"Edith," Sybil explained, a grin breaking across her face at the memory. "She met a man recently—an old neighbor of my family's, so I suppose I should say she 'reconnected' with someone. He's older, but it's clear from the way she talked about him that she's mad for him."

Siobhan smiled. "Well good for her. And what about your other sister? Mary, right? Is she married?"

Sybil groaned, but also laughed. "No, although I'm exactly sure why. It's plain to EVERYONE that she and Matthew are crazy about each other. They're like those two Shakespeare characters—Beatrice and Benedick. They argue constantly, but you can tell there's something simmering underneath."

Siobhan chuckled at that. "Well, if the day comes and they do announce an engagement, you can say you've known all along."

"I won't be the only one!" Sybil laughed, reaching for her locker. "I think EVERYONE will say that, and Mary and Matthew are simply the last two to realize—OH!"

Sybil jumped and practically stumbled into Siobhan when a skeleton, with glowing red eyes, hanging by a string, came swinging out the second she opened her locker, a high-pitched, wicked, electronic laugh echoing from its toothy mouth.

Sybil's hand flew to her chest, her heart pounding erratically from the scare. "What on earth…?"

A laugh could be heard from just beyond, and both Sybil and Siobhan turned their heads to see the grinning face of Thomas. "Happy Halloween, Crawley," he managed to chuckle, before lifting his phone and snapping a picture of her bewildered face.

Sybil blinked and then turned to Siobhan as if her friend had an answer. Much to Sybil's surprise, the woman did.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Siobhan sighed. "You're Thomas' first victim this year."

Sybil stared at her friend, her confusion only growing. "First victim?"

"Thomas is notorious for his Halloween pranks," Siobhan explained. "And I wouldn't start relaxing just yet; he's bound to try and play another before the holiday."

Sybil's eyes narrowed to slits and she glared in the direction her other supposed "friend" had been standing. "He better not begin relaxing either," she growled under her breath.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _DUN! DUN! DUN! Look out, Thomas ;oP_


	18. October 18

_Thanks again for reading! We now explore some of Sybil's possible "revenge" ideas for her Thomas ;oP_

* * *

 **October 18** ** _—"Coffin"_**

It was meant to be a nice little meal, just the two of them (well, two and a half—Aidan was with them too), while Sybil was on her lunch break and before he went to pick Suzy up from school. It was a gorgeous autumn day; the sun was shining (unusual for Dublin this time of year), the trees were an array of colors, and more and more sights of the upcoming Halloween holiday were everywhere (had it been anything like this when he was a boy?) Tom, with Aidan in tow, stopped by the hospital much to Sybil's surprise, a good ten minutes before he knew she was go on break, and offered to take her out to the pub around the corner, one he knew that she liked. Sybil eagerly agreed, and on their walk to it, Tom smiled, tilted his face towards he warmth of the sun and put his arm around his wife's shoulders, feeling happy and blessed, while his other hand cradled his son against his chest, who gurgled happily from his little harness…

"…So I need at the very least a dozen rats, perhaps some spiders—I wonder if he's afraid of bats? Put all of them in a net and place it above the door so when he walks through, the net will release and they'll land on him!"

Tom opened his eyes and looked down at his animated wife. "Rats?"

She looked up at him. "Not real ones, of course," she explained with a wave of her hand.

"Of course…" Tom repeated, confused and a little worried.

"But those rubber ones that look real!" Sybil exclaimed. "With red, beady eyes—they almost look rabid!"

Tom stopped and turned to fully face her. "Love…what are you talking about!?"

"THOMAS!" Sybil groaned as if he should have known. "Tom, haven't you been listening to anything that I've said?" She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I was telling you all about my plan to get back at him!"

This again.

Tom bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his groan. Sybil had come home from work the previous day, grumbling all about Thomas, another English nurse with whom she worked with at the hospital, whose party they had been invited to attend on Saturday, and who apparently had gotten a good fright out of Sybil with some prank involving a swinging skeleton from her locker. She started plotting her revenge, writing down ideas and sharing them with him. At first he found the whole thing rather humorous, but as the night wore on, and she was still talking of nothing else by the time they went to bed…Tom wasn't seeing much humor in the situation anymore.

He had foolishly hoped that the new day would bring a new outlook, but here they both were, on this gorgeous autumn day, having a little romantic meal (with their infant son as chaperone), and Sybil still couldn't focus on anything else.

"Maybe not a net…" Sybil murmured, more to herself. "Maybe something more macabre…like a coffin! A coffin filled with those nasty things…but where would I get a coffin?"

"Love, I think you need to—"

"Don't tell me I need to 'let it go' or anything like that," Sybil growled. "If Kieran had done something like that to you, would you have let the subject drop?"

Tom sighed. "If memory serves, you had some choice words for me on Sunday, when I 'threatened' to extract some kind of revenge on him after his little ghost story with Suzy."

"That's different!" Sybil defended. "That involved Suzy and your nieces; this doesn't involve anybody else but Thomas and myself—"

"And Aidan and me who get to hear about it."

He knew the second those words had left his lips, they were the wrong ones to say. Sybil narrowed her eyes and tilted her chin in that haughty aristocratic manner that he rarely got to see, but when he did, it chilled his heart.

"Well, I'll just keep my thoughts to myself then," she muttered, and began to walk away from him.

Tom groaned. "Syb, love, don't—"

"You both have a nice lunch, I wouldn't want to 'bother you' with my complaints," she threw back at him over her shoulder.

Tom was starting to get a bit annoyed himself. "Love, you're behaving like—"

"Don't say it!"

"Well you are!" he hissed. "And if anything, this DOES prove that you need to 'let it go'—listen to yourself!"

There was still a look of angry annoyance on her face, but Tom could see that his words were having a bit of an effect, a flash of embarrassment and uncertainty filling her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by the sudden wail, coming from Tom's chest…or rather, coming from the harness strapped around Tom's chest.

Aidan clearly knew something wasn't right between his parents, and was letting the world know his displeasure.

Sybil's heart instantly melted at the sound, and she rushed towards them, one hand going to cradle the back of Aidan's head, while the other wrapped around Tom, as if by instinct. Tom's own arm went around his wife and drew Sybil closer, smiling tenderly at the image of her cooing soothing words into Aidan's ear.

"I'm so sorry, darling," she whispered to the baby. "Mummy didn't mean to raise her voice—or to walk away from you; she wants very much to share this meal with you and Daddy."

Tom's smile spread, glad that he had been included.

Sybil bit her lower lip and looked up at him, her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she murmured after a moment. "I…I rarely get competitive—"

Tom snorted.

"I'm trying to apologize here," she grumbled, to which he bit back a laugh before nodding his head for her to continue. "Anyway, sometimes that competitive part of me is let loose, and it's hard to 'reign her in' until I beat my opponent."

Tom nodded his head. "You know, I'm finding all of this strangely arousing…"

Sybil swatted his arm, and they both laughed. But she still looked embarrassed. "I am sorry, though…for going on and on about it, and for acting like spoiled child just then."

Tom shook his head and leaned in to press his lips against her brow. "I'm sorry for snapping too. And you're not wrong, if I were your situation, I would be doing the same thing."

Aidan seemed to have calmed down and looked like he was ready to fall asleep against his father's chest. Tom and Sybil smiled at the child, their fingers brushing against one another as they ran them across Aidan's brow and cheeks.

"…The coffin idea isn't so bad," Tom murmured after a moment.

Sybil's eyes lit up. "Really? Like I said, I have no idea where you would get a coffin, but I rather like that idea as well."

"Maybe it doesn't have to be an actual 'coffin', but something 'coffin shaped'?"

"Oh! You know, I remember seeing these miniature coffins at the costume shop…and now that I think about it, they're JUST the right size for his locker…"

Tom laughed and shook his head. "Poor Thomas," he sighed. "I almost feel sorry for the bloke," he chuckled, then quickly added when Sybil raised an eyebrow, "but only almost."

 _To be continued..._


	19. October 19

_For those that can't get enough of Suzy and Margaret interacting :oP_

* * *

 **October 19** ** _—"Jack-O-Lanterns"_**

Suzy sat and watched as her grandmother fed Aidan from a bottle. Tom had a meeting with his editor, which meant he wasn't able to pick Suzy up from school. But she didn't mind, she liked spending afternoons at Margaret's house.

"How is Mummy's costume coming?" Suzy asked, eyeing the door that led to her grandmother's sewing room.

"Just fine…" Margaret answered, putting a towel on her shoulder before lifting Aidan and patting his back. "I think I'll have it finished by tomorrow."

Suzy's eyes lit up at that. She couldn't wait to see her mother's finished costume. "And Aidan's?" she asked, giggling because it was a special secret only she and her grandmother shared.

"That, I still have some work to do," Margaret sighed. "But remember, that's our secret—don't say anything to your Da or Mam."

Suzy nodded her head and ran her finger and thumb across her lips, as if she were zipping them. Margaret laughed at the sight and then gently took the towel to wipe at Aidan's mouth. "And you can't see it yet either," she told the baby. "It's a special surprise, just for you."

She moved over to the rocking chair in the corner of the room, a chair that she had owned for a long, long time. She had told Suzy how she used to sit in this chair and rock Tom to sleep when he was the same age as Aidan. As she settled in her chair, Suzy looked around the room, admiring the decorations she and her cousins had helped their grandmother hang and place the previous Sunday—cut-outs of witches and black cats, grinning pumpkins and flying ghosts—as well as ceramic pieces that adorned most shelves and table-tops. Margaret Branson, thanks in part to her great many grandchildren, had a large collection of items to decorate her home for practically every holiday and occasion. Her Halloween collection was nothing compared to what she had for Christmas, but even so, it made Suzy smile and feel warm and festive. Although there was one very important decoration that her grandmother's house seemed to be missing…

"Do you have a jack-o-lantern?" she asked, turning her eyes back to Margaret.

Margaret shook her head. "Not yet; your cousin Sean always likes to carve those, and over the last few years, I've let him be in charge of that; my 'official' jack-o-lantern carver."

Suzy smiled at this, though a part of her felt a touch of jealousy that Sean had this special job. "Mummy says we can't carve ours until next week," Suzy sighed, not bothering to hide her impatience.

"Your Mummy is wise," Margaret murmured. "Too often, in their excitement for Halloween, families carve their pumpkins too early, and what happens? They start to rot within a week, if not a few days."

Suzy sighed. "That's what Mummy said," she grumbled.

Margaret chuckled and gazed at her granddaughter with tenderness. "Did I ever tell you that when I was a girl, we didn't use pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns?"

Suzy's eyes widened at this bit of news. "You didn't?" She sat up a little straighter. "What did you use?"

"Turnips," Margaret answered.

Suzy made a face. "Turnips!?"

Margaret chuckled again, and nodded her head. "Aye, turnips. In fact, Ireland has a long history of using turnips for jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins aren't native to Ireland, not originally. So when I was a girl, we used turnips. Some families used beets!"

Suzy gasped. "But beets are so small!"

"Aye, most are," Margaret murmured in agreement. "And most turnips are smaller than pumpkins. It's much more difficult, carving a face on a turnip," Margaret sighed, remembering some of those jack-o-lanterns from her youth. "And I always found them to be a bit more frightening," she added, shivering at a memory.

Suzy moved over to her grandmother's side. Aidan was nearly asleep. "Do you have any pictures?" she asked, hopeful that she would.

"Hmmm…perhaps…there's a large, gray photo album on the bottom shelf of that bookcase, just over there," she pointed. "Most of the pictures in there are old; all black and white. They're pictures of my family when I was a little, but you might find something taken from around Halloween…"

Suzy leapt to her feet and rushed over to the shelf Margaret had mentioned. She pulled out the large, heavy book, noticing that there were bits and pieces sticking out from between the pages. She opened it and gasped again at how old everything looked.

Margaret continued to rock Aidan, cooing to him softly as Suzy flipped through the pages. Aidan finally shut his eyes and it wasn't until Margaret was certain he was asleep based on the gentle way he breathed, that she turned her head away from her grandson, to see what her granddaughter had found. "Well?"

"Nothing yet," Suzy murmured, although she seemed to be rather engrossed in several other photos. Margaret smiled as she gazed at the pictures, and felt her throat tighten a little with emotion at the memories they stirred.

Suzy turned another page and sat up straight, pointing at the picture of a child—who looked to be about her age—standing on a street curb with several other children, all dressed in their Halloween finest, the girl wearing a black dress with a pointy black hat. "Is that—?"

"Oh Lord," Margaret groaned, but smiled and nodded her head. "Aye, that's me—taken in 1952. I was 8-years-old."

"Same age as me!" Suzy declared, smiling broadly at her grandmother. She had been right in her guess!

"Do you see the jack-o-lantern?" Margaret asked. Suzy looked at several pages but couldn't find it. A sigh of disappointment escaped her lips as she shook her head.

"Well, perhaps if you look at the window of this top picture…" Margaret pointed, and Suzy followed her grandmother's finger, before gasping again.

"I see it! I see the turnip!"

Margaret chuckled and nodded. "Aye, that's it, my little turnip jack-o-lantern. We always placed them in the window."

"Can we make one now!?"

Margaret brought her finger to her lips, telling Suzy to keep her voice down for Aidan's sake. "I don't have any turnips here, my dear…and even if I did, it's been so long, I'm not sure I remember."

"Does _Daddy_ know?" she asked, but before Margaret could answer, there was a knock on the door, followed by Tom quietly entering the house. He hadn't even managed to step inside, much less say anything, before Suzy bolted to her feet and raced across the room to where he stood, asking him if they could go to the grocers at once because she needed a turnip!

Tom blinked, then lifted his eyes to his mother. Margaret just laughed.

 _To be continued..._


	20. October 20

_For those that love the antics of Tom, aka "the hottest dad in Suzy's class" ;oP here you go..._

* * *

 **October 20** ** _—"Haunted House"_**

Tom made his way through the hallway that led to Suzy's classroom, forcing a smile at the different people he passed, but inwardly dreading the conversation that was about to take place.

Suzy had come running outside at the end of the school day, and upon seeing Tom ran up to him and said, "Mrs. Quincy wants to ask you something."

Now what? Surely not another class trip? Then his mind began to wander to the revelation about Suzy's speech involving the hayride; oh God, what did Suzy say this time?

Tom reached the classroom and waited patiently as Mrs. Quincy finished a conversation with another parent. The door opened and Tom bit back a groan (and forced another smile) as he was once again face to face with Mrs. Donnelly, the woman who had "accidently" bumped into him in that corn maze.

"Oh! Mr. Branson!" Mrs. Donnelly gasped, her cheeks filling with color and a smile quickly spreading across her face. "You surprised me! I didn't expect to see you there," she explained.

Tom glanced down to Mrs. Donnelly's side and saw a child that was Suzy's age standing next to her hip.

"Hi, Mr. Branson!" the boy greeted.

Tom couldn't remember the boy's name, but murmured a polite and friendly hello back.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Mrs. Donnelly spoke, drawing Tom's attention back to her.

Was she referring to her son's friendly ease with him?

"The party," Mrs. Donnelly explained, clearly noticing Tom's confusion. Then her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh! You haven't yet spoken to Mrs. Quincy; you probably don't know what I'm talking about!" She started laughing then, and leaned a little bit closer to him.

Tom swallowed and took a tentative step back. "Suzy just told me that she wanted to ask me something," he explained, although his mind was already rushing ahead with the information Mrs. Donnelly had given him. A party? As in…a class party?

"Ah! Mr. Branson, there you are!" came Mrs. Quincy's warm voice from the door. "Please come in!" she invited, to which Tom gratefully accepted, offering what he hoped was a polite smile to Mrs. Donnelly, before murmuring, "goodbye" and slipping into the classroom.

"Thank you, Ellen, that will be all," Mrs. Quincy murmured to Mrs. Donnelly, who was still lingering in the doorway, before gasping and making several flustered, embarrassed apologies, before tugging on her son's hand and leaving at once.

Mrs. Quincy turned back and smiled at Tom. "You certainly are one of our more popular class parents," she chuckled, which caused Tom's face to turn a bright shade of red. "Have a seat, Mr. Branson," she gestured towards a chair sitting opposite of her desk.

Tom frowned but sat down. So, this wasn't going to be a quick explanation about a class party?

"Two things," Mrs. Quincy began. "One, I wanted to let you know about something Suzy did today."

Tom's heart began to sink. "What?" he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. Suzy was such a good child, he couldn't imagine her disobeying her teachers or being cruel to other students, which meant it was probably something she had said…and perhaps "revealed" to the class (like that bloody hayride).

Mrs. Quincy showed Tom a drawing. It was a child's drawing, done completely in crayon, but the image was something that looked…strangely familiar.

"Do you recognize this?" Mrs. Quincy asked.

Tom looked up at the teacher, and with a furrowed brow, answered, "…Downton Abbey?"

"Yes!" Mrs. Quincy exclaimed, looking at him with pride as if he were one of her students. "That's exactly what Suzy said."

Tom nodded his head, but didn't understand why Suzy had drawn the childhood home of her mother. It was a good drawing, Tom thought; very detailed, not to mention MASSIVE. The castle (because really, that's what it was) filled the entire paper, and Suzy had taken great care to put in as many windows and doors and towers as the house had (from what he remembered when he had visited it).

"Do you see anything…unusual…about the windows?" Mrs. Quincy asked.

Tom peered at the windows in question and saw a few faces peeking out back at him. "There are people inside…" he murmured. "Her grandparents and aunts, I'm guessing." He lifted his eyes back to Mrs. Quincy, but frowned at the sight of her shaking her head at him.

"No, they're not people, Mr. Branson…according to Suzy, they're ghosts."

Tom's eyes widened. _"GHOSTS!?"_

Mrs. Quincy nodded her head again. "Aye; when showing our pictures to the class, Suzy said that her mother once lived in a 'haunted house'."

Tom groaned and shook his head.

"As you can imagine, her picture…and the story that went with it…became our most popular this afternoon."

Tom sighed and lifted his eyes back to Mrs. Quincy. "I'm sorry she disrupted your lesson, I'll speak with her about it."

"Oh! Oh no, Mr. Branson, you misunderstand," Mrs. Quincy corrected. "Every day, we have an hour where we talk about things 'Halloween-related', and Suzy drew this when the children were asked to draw 'a haunted house', based on a poetry book I had read to them earlier…it's just that Suzy's drawing was the only drawing of an actual _existing_ place," she explained.

Tom listened and slowly nodded his head as Mrs. Quincy's words sank in. Halloween and all its ghosts and goblins were "make-believe", but Mrs. Quincy was concerned that perhaps Suzy was mixing up "make-believe" with "reality".

"I just wanted you to be aware, in case Suzy brings it up, or mentions her picture…it's a very good drawing," Mrs. Quincy quickly added.

Tom nodded his head in agreement with that. "Aye, it is…but Sybil and I will talk with her."

"Children have wonderful imaginations," Mrs. Quincy felt the need to add. "And it's very easy to let our imaginations 'get away from us', especially around Halloween. I don't believe there's a need to be concerned, but at the same time, if questions arise…"

"I understand," Tom reassured the teacher. He and Sybil liked Mrs. Quincy; she struck them both as a very kind and open-minded woman who loved her job and respected the children she taught.

"Thank you," Mrs. Quincy smiled. Tom rose then, feeling as if the conversation were at an end. He nodded his head in thanks again to Mrs. Quincy and was nearly out the door, when Mrs. Quincy called out, "OH! I almost forgot! There's one more thing, Mr. Branson!"

Tom sighed and without turning around, mumbled over his shoulder, "the party?"

"Yes! Since you were such a _success_ on our trip to the pumpkin patch, would you be willing to help chaperone next Friday for our class Halloween party?"

Did he really have a choice?

 _To be continued..._


	21. October 21

_This might seem like a strange chapter with a strange subject matter, but I thought this might be a "good way" to help Suzy overcome her fears. Anyway, I hope you like it and thanks again as always for reading!_

* * *

 **October 21** _ **—"Tombstone"**_

Suzy frowned as she noticed the car turn down an unfamiliar street. This wasn't the direction of home…

"Daddy? Where are we going?"

Tom glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "I want you to meet someone," he answered. "Someone who I should have taken you to see long ago…"

Suzy frowned, but shrugged her shoulders, thinking nothing more of the matter…that is, until she noticed a certain place that the car was approaching.

Suzy's eyes widened…and then she sucked in a deep breath, clearly intending to hold it as she had done those other times she had passed the graveyard. Only…this time…they weren't passing the graveyard…

"MMMM!" she made a sound of distress, her breath still being held. Why was Tom stopping the car? What were they doing at the cemetery!?

Tom looked in the rearview mirror. "Breathe naturally, me darlin'," he firmly told her, though his voice was still gentle. "We're going to be here a little while."

Suzy's panicked look changed to one of annoyed confusion. A long exhale left her lips, and she glared back at Tom. "You said we going to meet somebody," she muttered.

Tom unbuckled his seatbelt. "We are," he confirmed.

"In a graveyard!?" Suzy hissed.

Tom didn't answer that, he simply came around to the back of the car and opened Suzy's door. "Come on," he coaxed, reaching over to unbuckle her own seatbelt.

Suzy looked nervous. "But…but Daddy, it's a cemetery!"

"Aye, it is," Tom agreed. "But nothing bad is going to happen to you, I promise."

She didn't look entirely convinced, but she sighed and nodded her head, before finally climbing out of the car, clinging tightly to her father's hand as she did.

"This way," Tom told her, giving her hand a little tug, but also squeezing it in a reassuring gesture. Suzy swallowed the nervous lump, before quietly following him, glancing every which way as they walked. Some ravens cawed from overhead, a few sitting on tombstones, some up in leafless trees. The ground was soggy (it had rained the night before), but the sky wasn't as gray as it had been that morning; the sun was making an effort to come out, so that helped (a graveyard wasn't as spooky in the sunlight). But still…WHERE were they going? And WHO were they meeting in a place like this?

"Just over here," Tom told her, leading her down a path between tombstones. Suzy mutely nodded her head, clutching her father's hand even tighter as they passed the various stones. Most of the stones had what her teacher described as "Celtic Crosses", while others were round or square-shaped. Finally, they came to a stop. An old stone bench was set in front of one of those Celtic crosses (though it was much smaller compared to some of the others Suzy had seen).

"Have a seat," Tom offered, sitting down on the stone bench in front of the cross.

Suzy did so, but never loosened her father's grip. She looked around, but didn't see anybody else. "Who are we meeting?"

Tom pointed at the stone cross in front of them. Suzy looked and gasped, reading the name for the first time.

"BRANSON" it simply read.

Suzy's eyes flew to Tom's face. "This is our family plot," Tom explained, his voice calm and tender. "My grandparents purchased the plot—they're buried right over there," he pointed to two small, squared-shaped stones just to the right of the cross. "And my father is buried here too—Aidan Thomas Branson."

Suzy looked to see if there was another stone bearing the name of Branson on it, but didn't see anything. "Where…?"

Tom pressed his lips together, as if trying to hold back a laugh. "We're sitting on it," he murmured.

Suzy frowned at his words…and then gave a little yelp as she sprung up onto her feet and off the bench. She whirled around and gasped as she saw the words carved into the bench's surface—how had she missed that?

AIDAN THOMAS BRANSON  
Beloved husband and father

The words from Psalm 23 were carved into the edges of the bench, and wove around it.

"Da had always said that he wanted his tombstone to be 'functional'," Tom explained, still sitting on the bench, but running his fingers along the letters. "Said that if people were going to visit his grave, they might as well have a place to sit," he smiled to himself. "He said that he hoped when we did come to visit him, we would sit and talk—share our troubles, our hopes, our joys…" he looked down at Suzy, and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I came here not long after I met you and your mother," he murmured. "I came and sat down and told my father that I had just met this amazing woman and her beautiful little girl and I thought that I was falling in love…"

Suzy looked down at the bench, and just as Tom had done, also ran her fingers over the letters carved into the stone.

"I came here once, when you went missing," Tom continued, swallowing at the painful memory. "I came here the day before I proposed to your mother…I came here the day before the wedding…and I came here the day after your mam told me she was pregnant with Aidan."

Suzy carefully eased herself back down onto the bench. "Have you brought him here?" she asked.

Tom shook his head. "No, but I should, don't you think? I think your grandfather would like to meet his grandson." Aidan was at home with her grandmother, Tom had explained. He had told her he had a special surprise, just for her. Suzy was starting to understand that now, and in a way, she was glad she got to come here first with her father, just the two of them.

"I've told my father so much about you…that I thought it was time for you both to finally meet," he finished, smiling at her and squeezing her hand.

Suzy quietly nodded her head and gazed at the Celtic cross bearing the family name. She was a Branson now; both she and her mother were officially Bransons, so this place was for them as well. And as strange as it all was…it didn't scare her, not anymore.

"I know you've been told a lot of spooky stories because of Halloween," Tom continued. "And I know it's easy for our imaginations to run wild…but I wanted to bring you here, not just to learn a bit more about your family history, but also because…I want you to remember that things don't have to be scary…that they're not always scary…does that make sense?"

Suzy looked up at him and saw distress in her father's eyes. He was worried, as if wondering if he had done the right thing or if he had explained himself properly. But she eased his worry by nodding her head and even smiling.

"Thank you, Daddy," she murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm glad you brought me here."

Tom grinned and kissed the top of her head. "So, will you still be holding your breath when we pass this place?"

Suzy shook her head. "Nope, because granddad will keep us safe."

Tom laughed and hugged her close. It was a start.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _When I was younger, I remembered my family taking me to see the old "family plot" and finding the place to be more interesting with its history, than spooky. I tried to convey that here with Suzy in this story :oP  
_


	22. October 22

_This one borders on the T-M rating line ;oP just be aware. And I do encourage you to give the song "Witchcraft" a listen when you have the opportunity. THANKS FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 22** _ **—"Witchcraft"**_

Tom paced the living room as he waited for his wife to come out of the bathroom. She had been in there for a long time, preparing her hair and make-up for Thomas' Halloween party. Tom glanced at his reflection from a floor-length mirror that hung in their front hallway. He felt a bit overdressed, wearing the tux he wore for his and Sybil's wedding, along with his vampire cape and false fangs. He had slicked his hair back with a bit of gel, but had refused Sybil's offer to apply some ivory foundation to his face in order to make him look pale (he had also kindly refused her offer of applying rouge to his lips, to make it look like he had just "had a drink").

He had yet to see Sybil's costume. All he knew was that it was some kind of witch, but whatever kind it was, both she and his mother, and even Suzy for that matter, had been very secretive about the whole thing.

He sighed and tried to sit down on the sofa. He was also feeling nervous about the evening, though not because of the party. He was feeling nervous because both Suzy and Aidan were spending the night with Kieran and Clare and their entire brood. This was the first time Aidan would be spending a night away from them. Also, while Tom felt that his talk with Suzy the previous day at the cemetery had gone well, he couldn't deny he was feeling uncertain. He didn't believe Kieran would try anything like last time, but that didn't mean Kieran's sons wouldn't try to frighten the girls at some point.

 _It's going to be alright,_ he told himself. _Just have faith; both Suzy and Aidan will be fine. If anything, Clare will make certain of that._

"Tom?"

He turned his head at the sound of his wife's voice…and stared.

His eyes began at her feet…and slowly moved upward. The hem of her dress stopped just above the knee, and her gorgeous legs encased in black silk stockings that caused Tom's fingers to twitch. His eyes moved upward, taking in her gown. It was black and silver, a spider web design decorating the bodice. The neckline was scooped, and Tom groaned as he imagined her leaning forward. The dress was sleeveless, though she wore two long, elbow-length black silk gloves…and her hair was styled to look as if she had it bobbed, and instead of a traditional witch's hat, she wore a black and silver sequined headband, with a tiny pointed hat adorning the front.

"Trick-or-treat," Sybil purred, before doing a little turn so he could see everything.

His eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of her back. The dress dipped down low, providing him with a delectable view of creamy skin. "Do you like it?" he heard her ask, and he had to shake his head in order to focus. In fact, he couldn't speak; all he could do was dumbly nod his head.

Sybil giggled and blushed, her rouged cheeks turning even pinker. "It was your mother's idea," she explained. "Turning me into a 'flapper witch'."

A flapper witch. God bless his mother.

"It's perfect…" he finally managed to say, his eyes still transfixed with the way the dress hung and clung from her body. Sybil cleared her throat, before giggling when he snapped his attention back to her own eyes. "Sorry," he apologized, blushing himself.

Sybil shook her head, before seeming to float across the room to him. "Don't be; I rather like it when you stare," she giggled.

Tom couldn't resist her nearness, and brought his hands up to her waist, pulling her closer and reveling in the feel of her body beneath the silky fabric. "This suits you," he murmured, more to himself, but she smiled at his words, and blushed in that way that always made groan.

"We don't have to be there just yet, do we?" he found himself asking.

Sybil lifted an eyebrow at his words. "What did you have in mind?" she innocently asked.

Tom grinned, then with one hand firmly pressed to her back, his other reached out and hit a button on their stereo, and suddenly the voice of Frank Sinatra filled their flat. "May I have this dance, Miss Flapper Witch?"

"That's _Mrs_. Flapper Witch, thank you very much," she playfully chastised, while taking his offered hand. "And yes…you may, my prince of darkness."

He growled, but grinned, and the two of them began swaying to the music.

" _Those fingers in my hair,  
That sly, come hither stare,  
That strips my conscious bare,  
It's witchcraft…"_

Despite the gel, Sybil's own fingers slid up into his hair, and gave him a _very_ "come-hither" stare that most definitely was stripping his conscious…and other things…bare.

" _And I've got no defense for it,  
The heat is too intense for it,  
What good would common sense for it do?"_

"When is Thomas expecting us?" Tom innocently asked.

"Oh, he just said come when you can," she answered back, every bit as innocently. "And you know darling, growing up as an aristocrat, we always believe in being 'fashionably late'."

"Ah," Tom nodded his head, before leaning his head a bit closer, his lips hovering close to hers. "Well, who am I to argue with the aristocrats?"

" _Because it's witchcraft!  
Wicked witchcraft!  
And although I know, it's strictly taboo!"_

They kissed, and Sybil melted in his arms. Tom's hands ran down her spine, caressing her curves and tugging at her dress. Sybil's own fingers were busy, pushing his cape back and reaching into his jacket, tugging at the buttons of his shirt.

" _When you arouse the need in me,  
My heart says 'yes indeed' in thee,  
Proceed in what you're leading me to…"_

"Wait…" Tom gasped. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but…should we wait? I mean, I don't want to ruin your costume—"

He was cut off from Sybil's urgent kiss, and felt his body falling backwards, before landing on the mattress of their bed. How…when did they get into the bedroom? It truly was "witchcraft".

"We'll just have to be careful," Sybil grinned, before crawling up the bed and settling herself over him, her legs straddling his thighs and her hands making quick work of what needed to be undone and shoved aside.

Tom groaned and gave himself up to it, allowing himself to be completely taken under her spell. Thomas would just have to wait. They had their own party to see to first…

" _It's such an ancient pitch,  
But one I wouldn't switch,  
Cause no nicer witch than you!"_

 _To be continued..._


	23. October 23

_Just under the wire! And for those who love the Branson brothers interactions :oP THANKS FOR READING!_

* * *

 **October 23** _ **—"Ghost Stories"**_

Unlike the previous Sunday, it was Kieran who was sitting on their mother's sofa, waiting for his little brother to arrive. His feet were tapping nervously on the floor, and every time he heard a sound that he thought was footsteps just outside their mother's door, he rose to his feet, only to sit back down when he realized it had been something else. However, all that being said, when Tom and Sybil did enter at last, both grinning and giggling like a pair of mad turtledoves, Kieran was at the ready, though the expression on his face was quite the opposite to Tom's.

Kieran's brow furrowed when he looked at his brother. His eyes were somewhat bloodshot, like those of someone who had gotten little sleep (and perhaps had had a bit too much to drink the night before). And yet instead of groaning about a hangover or feeling exhausted, Tom looked…jolly.

Like Christmas morning and his birthday, combined. _Or like a man who had gotten a good shag_ , Kieran thought, noticing that Sybil wore a similar expression. And now he was going to be the bearer of bad news…

"'Mornin' Kieran," Tom greeted, still grinning like an idiot. Kieran rolled his eyes.

"It's well past morning and you know it," he muttered, before sighing and running a hand across his face. God, he wished Clare were there, but she had told him _"it was his mess to clean up",_ and had left him to deal with the consequences all by himself. "Tommy…" he began with a sigh.

"Where are Suzy and Aidan?" Sybil asked, turning her attention to her brother-in-law at last.

Kieran sighed and ran his hand across the back of his neck. "Suzy's in the kitchen with Mam, and Clare has Aidan. Look…I…I need to tell you something…"

Tom seemed to sober up at this. "Is everything alright?"

Sybil stepped forward, concern etching across her own face. "Did they behave themselves? Was Aidan too much of a handful?"

Kieran quickly shook his head. "No, they're both fine—Suzy was as good as gold, as we expected she would be," he added. "And Aidan only cried the one time; slept peacefully for most of the night, though I'm sure he misses you."

Sybil smiled at this and beamed at Tom. "Well, as nice as a night to ourselves was, we missed him too—both of them." She looked over Kieran's shoulder, clearly trying to find her children. "You said Clare was…?"

"I think she went to change him; and Suzy and the girls are with Mam," Kieran explained again.

Sybil smiled. "Right, well, I'll go and find them." She squeezed Tom's hand, then place an affectionate hand on Kieran's shoulder before passing him. Kieran rather wished Sybil had stayed; she would keep Tom from killing him.

"What is it?" Tom asked, no doubt sensing Kieran's anxiety. "You said you had something to say…what is it?"

Kieran took a deep breath and met his brother's eyes. "I…I tried to stop them—"

"Who?"

"The boys," Kieran groaned. "My boys…they decided to 'invite' themselves to the girls' sleepover, and turned out all the lights in the living room where they were huddled and try to scare them with ghost stories."

Tom stared back at him, barely blinking as Kieran's words sunk into him. Kieran was wincing and prepared for a loud telling off...if his brother didn't try and punch him, of course.

Tom opened his mouth to say something, but just at that moment, Suzy came running into the room, all smiles and giggles, and launched herself into Tom's waiting arms, crying, "Daddy!"

"Hello, me darlin'," Tom greeted, kissing Suzy on the cheek and hugging her tight. "Did you have a good time at your Uncle Kieran's?"

Suzy nodded her head vigorously. "We toasted marshmallows in the fireplace!" she told him. "And watched _Hocus Pocus_ and made popcorn!"

Tom smiled, and glancing at Kieran, asked, "And…did you sleep well? No nightmares?"

Suzy shook her head. "Nope, not a single one."

Tom's smile grew even wider at that. "I'm glad to hear that…because your uncle was just telling me how your cousins—his sons—tried to 'crash' your sleepover and scare you all with ghost stories…"

Kieran winced and readied himself.

Suzy made a sound with her lips; a very dismissive sound. "They _tried_ , but it didn't work," she proudly told her father.

Kieran's eyes flew open at the child's answer. "It didn't?" he asked.

Suzy looked at him and shook her head, Tom now mirroring Suzy's proud grin. "Nope!"

"That's my girl," Tom laughed, kissing her cheek and even tossing her in the air, which made her squeal with delight.

"What's going on?" Sybil asked, emerging into the room, cradling Aidan with Clare following close behind.

"Suzy was just telling me all about the wonderful fun she had last night at Uncle Kieran's," Tom explained, putting Suzy down and reaching for his son. "And you! I understand that you were a very good boy for your Auntie Clare!" Tom said to Aidan, who like Suzy, also squealed with delight.

"Mummy! Daddy! How was the party?" Suzy asked, holding tightly to her mother's hand and looking back and forth between her parents. They exchanged a knowing smile, before leading her away to tell her what they could (and a specific version suitable for a child's ears), leaving Kieran flabbergasted.

"Well?" Clare asked him.

"He knows," Kieran told her. "I…I told him about the boys trying to frighten the girls, but…but Suzy claims she was perfectly fine!"

Clare smiled at that. "According to the girls, Suzy told them that 'the ghost of their grandfather will protect them from all the long-legged beasties'."

Kieran frowned. "What?" And then his frown deepened. "Wait…you KNEW that they didn't have nightmares!?"

Clare only smiled. "Of course I knew; but I wasn't going to let you get off the hook that easily. _Your_ sons take after their father," she sighed as if this were her lot in life, before patting her husband's inflamed cheek and leaving him standing in the middle of his mother's living room, in a bit of a stunned stupor.

 _To be continued..._


	24. October 24

_This one goes out to the M/M shippers! ;oP_

* * *

 **October 24** ** _—"Monster Mash"_**

"… _Papa was beyond flabbergasted, and Granny! Oh, you should have seen the shock on her face—But Edith didn't even bat an eye! She just strolled into the ballroom, Sir Anthony Strallan on her arm, and introduced him as her date!"_

Sybil smiled, despite Mary's anxious tone. "Good! I'm glad."

" _Oh naturally she told you! How long have you known?"_

"Long enough," Sybil sighed, glancing into the living room where Tom and Suzy were sitting, snuggled on the couch and laughing at the antics of Wallace and Gromit who were tracking down the mysterious "were-rabbit".

" _I can't believe Edith kept this a secret from us!"_

"Oh Mary," Sybil groaned. "Does it matter? It's not like you ever showed an interest in Edith's private life."

Mary sounded a bit hurt by that statement. _"Well…I'm her older sister! YOUR older sister! And yet you both keep me in the dark—"_

"Have you shared EVERYTHING with the both of us?" Sybil countered.

Mary groaned, and Sybil knew it was because her sister couldn't answer that question without lying. She softened her tone. "Look, does it matter? Edith is happy! So what if Sir Anthony is Papa's age."

Mary snorted _. "I never took you to be such a 'romantic'."_

"Must have been that dreadful Irish influence in my life," Sybil mischievously giggled. "So besides the 'shock' of Edith arriving with an older man on her arm, how was the masquerade?"

Mary made a noncommittal sound, and Sybil imagined her sister shrugging her shoulders. _"There were over a hundred guests, the papers talked about it and it received a great deal of praise—"_

"Mary, I'm not asking what the whole of England thought of the party, but YOU, specifically!"

Mary groaned _. "Well that's not as 'cut and dry' as you think, Sybil! Because it could have gone very badly, and no thanks to Matthew!"_

Sybil perked up at this. "Oh?" she tried to sound innocent. "Matthew was there?"

" _Ugh, YES, Matthew was there_ ," Mary began. _"And he arrived EARLY, before any of the other guests had arrived, before any of us were even ready to greet people!"_

"The nerve of him," Sybil teased in a mocking outraged voice.

" _Ha, ha, yes, laugh at us, but seriously, Sybil, it is rude to arrive early to a party,"_ Mary pouted _. "And if that wasn't enough of an issue, he arrived IN COSTUME!"_

Sybil's eyebrows lifted at this. "Oh really? And what did he dress up as?"

" _I told him weeks in advance that this was a masquerade ball, and JUST a masquerade ball—"_

"Mary, what was he?" Sybil groaned in exasperation.

Mary huffed before finally answering. _"The Phantom of the Opera."_

Sybil frowned. "The Phantom of the Opera?" she repeated.

" _Yes,"_ Mary muttered.

Sybil let Mary's words sink in. It had been ages since she had seen the musical in London, but…if memory served…

"…So Matthew was wearing a tuxedo—"

" _White tie and tails,"_ Mary corrected.

"Alright, so he was wearing an evening jacket and…a mask?"

" _A half-mask, Sybil, just like in the musical."_

"But still a mask," Sybil clarified. "Just like…everybody else…"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. _"Look, it was OBVIOUS he was being The Phantom, I mean who else wears a half-mask like that!?"_

"Still, when you said he was wearing a costume, I thought you meant he was dressed up like Frankenstein's monster."

" _Don't be silly,"_ Mary chastised. _She_ was being silly?

" _OH! AND THEN he had the AUDACITY to go to the band Papa had hired and ask them to play_ 'The Monster Mash'!"

"Oh the horror!" Sybil gasped.

" _Sybil…"_ Mary growled.

"That's a good song! Especially for a Halloween Party."

" _It's NOT a Halloween Party, it's the annual masquerade ball—"_

"Which just so happens to take place every October near Halloween."

" _Honestly, you're impossible,"_ Mary groaned.

Sybil just laughed. "Oh come on, Mary, you know you can't stay mad at me," she teased. "And Matthew didn't do anything horrible either. He may have dressed up as a certain character, but he did follow the supposed 'guidelines', making sure it was a character who wore a mask. And there's nothing wrong with dancing to a playful song like _The Monster Mash_ , even at something as 'refined' as Downton's masquerade ball."

Mary sighed. _"Are you finished?"_

Sybil smirked. "Almost. But I do think I have an answer to why Matthew was there so early."

" _Oh?"_ Despite herself, Mary did sound keen to hear.

Sybil grinned. "I think he wanted to see you before anybody else arrived."

" _Don't, Sybil—"_

"It's true! I think he wanted to see you and be the first to ask you to dance!"

" _I'm hanging up now,"_ Mary warned.

"Mary, just admit that you like him! He's clearly mad about you!"

" _You're the one who's mad!"_ Mary muttered, before making good on her threat and hanging up on Sybil.

Sybil sighed and shook her head, still smiling to herself. She returned to the living room and settled herself down on the couch next to her husband and daughter. "Everything alright?" Tom asked, glancing over at her.

Sybil nodded her head. "Hmm? Oh, yes, just talking with Mary."

Suzy turned her head towards her mother. "When is Auntie Mary going to marry Uncle Matthew?"

Sybil laughed, wondering how Mary would respond if she heard her niece refer to Matthew Crawley as her future husband? "I don't know, darling, but I'm more positive than ever that it will happen someday."

Tom lifted a curious eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

Sybil grinned. "Because _she_ brought him up in the first place, and without any coaxing," Sybil giggled.

Tom shared in her laugh. "And that means she's in love?"

Sybil snuggled closer to her husband. "It means he's on her mind…and if my sisters are anything like me, that means their hearts will soon follow."

 _To be continued..._


	25. October 25

_Sybil gets her revenge at last ;o)_

* * *

 **October 25** ** _—"Scarecrow"_**

"'Morning!" Sybil warmly greeted her fellow nurses as she entered the locker room on Tuesday morning.

"See that you recovered," one of them teased, referring to Thomas' party from several nights ago.

"I was here yesterday too," Sybil defended.

"Aye, we all were, but that doesn't mean we had recovered by then," the other nurse chuckled.

Sybil joined in their laughter, then started to look around. "Speaking of 'recovery', has Thomas returned to work yet?" He had taken the previous day off, the excuse being that he would still be cleaning up from his party on Monday. Everybody else knew that what he really meant was that he very well would still be hungover.

A great loud yawn was heard from the doorway and all the nurses present turned to see the very man enter the locker room. "Speak of the devil…" someone murmured, which naturally led to a few more giggles.

Sybil smiled pleasantly at her friend. "Good morning, Thomas."

"Meh," Thomas answered. He was wearing dark sunglasses and still looked rather disheveled.

"Everything all cleaned up?" Sybil innocently asked, earning a few more giggles from her fellow nurses, as well as a mock laugh from her friend.

"For the most part," he muttered. "Although if you're volunteering on coming over and helping…"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to take away your fun," Sybil teased.

Thomas snorted and turned to his locker, only to pause at the sight of…something…hanging on it.

"What's this?"

Sybil looked over at Thomas and followed his fingers to the locker door. "Oh! Suzy drew that for you," she giggled.

Thomas raised his eyebrows. "Well, that was sweet…" he squinted at the picture from beneath his sunglasses. "…What is it?"

Sybil giggled and sighed. While her daughter had a love for art, she was by no means a Rembrandt. "It's meant to be a scarecrow," she explained.

Thomas frowned. "A scarecrow?"

Sybil nodded. "That's what she said."

Thomas still looked puzzled. "Well…again, that's rather sweet, but…why?"

Sybil looked up at him, sharing in his confused expression. "Why what?"

"Why a picture of a scarecrow?"

Sybil shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, she just told me to give you the picture. I brought it yesterday, but you weren't here, so I thought I would just tape it to your locker."

Thomas turned back to gaze at the picture, and a smile finally broke across his lips. "Well, please tell little Miss Suzy that I thank her for my…scarecrow."

Sybil nodded her head and went back to putting her things away in her locker. Thomas gazed at the drawing one more time, before turning his lock and opening the locker…and freezing in place at the sight that greeted him.

"What the…" he turned his head at the sound of feminine giggles and narrowed his eyes when he saw Sybil's laughing face. "Oh I see...that's nice, Crawley, REALLY nice," Thomas muttered.

A few of the other nurses looked over to see what Thomas was talking about, and a few gasped at the sight of a plastic coffin, filling a majority of the space in his locker.

"I'm not even going to ask how you got in," he snarled.

"Probably the same way you got into mine," Sybil hauntingly retorted.

Thomas removed his sunglasses. "So that lovely picture your daughter drew, assuming she drew it, was just a ploy to get me to 'relax', let my defenses down, before springing whatever your trick coffin holds into my face?"

"You seemed to have a great deal of fun playing your prank on me, isn't it fair to play one on you?"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Some prank," he muttered. "If something was supposed to 'burst out' when I opened my locker, it didn't work." He peered at the coffin and shook his head. "Hope you saved your receipt, Crawley, because I think you were sold a faulty piece of merchandise."

Sybil lifted an eyebrow. "Maybe my prank was simply putting the coffin into your locker?"

"Pfft," Thomas snorted. "You're a terrible liar, Crawley. So what's inside? Surely not another skeleton, no, you'd want to be different. Let me guess…rubber spiders and rats? The ones that look real upon first glance?"

Sybil shut her own locker and turned on her heel, not bothering to answer him. Thomas clearly took this as her refusing to admit that he was right.

"Aww, don't walk away!" he called after her. "Look, I'll open it now and pretend to be scared, since you went through all this trouble!"

Sybil paused at the doorway that led out of the locker and watched as Thomas pulled at the coffin door. "What's behind mystery door #1?" he asked in a mocking "gameshow host" voice. The door opened…and Thomas gasped and then sputtered as a giant pile of straw and dirt tumbled out of the locker, onto the floor, burying him up to his knees from where he stood. "WHAT THE…!?"

Laughter filled the air and Thomas, still sputtering from the (literal) "dirty" surprise, lifted his eyes and glared back at Sybil.

"I know it's by no means as 'refined' as your skeleton, but knowing how you are about 'the great outdoors', especially farms—"

"FARMS!?" Thomas gasped, leaping as best he could out of the mound of dirt and straw, coughing as the smell filled his nostrils. While Thomas had been born and lived his childhood in the Yorkshire countryside, he despised it, and was by no means an "outdoorsman", much less a farmer.

"Yes, my brother-in-law, Kieran—they have a little farm just outside of Dublin; he helped me the other day with filling that…as well as dismantling an old scarecrow that was falling apart. Oh, best watch out for worms and maggots."

Thomas let out a screech and began to leap up and down, trying to shake every bit of dirt and straw from his shoes, clothes, and skin. Sybil laughed as several other nurses lifted their phones and quickly started to record Thomas' antics. There weren't really any worms or maggots, but she wasn't going to reveal that, at least not yet.

"Happy Halloween, Barrow," Sybil sweetly murmured, blowing her friend a kiss, before turning on her heel and practically skipping away. Ah, sweet revenge…

 _To be continued..._


	26. October 26

_Here's some family fluff! Dedicating this one to **tammyteresa64** :o) thanks for reading!_

* * *

 **October 26** ** _—"Black Cat"_**

"It's been arranged," Sybil announced to her husband as she took their roast beef out of the oven. "Thomas agreed to take over my shift on Friday after lunch, so I can help you with chaperoning Suzy's class Halloween party."

Tom looked up from the potatoes he was mashing, not even bothering to hide his relief at hearing her answer. "I'm surprised he was willing, especially after the prank you pulled on him yesterday."

Sybil did smirk at the memory. "Yes, well, he's getting his own 'revenge' on me; I agreed to come in _early_ on Monday morning, giving him the ENTIRE day off."

Tom frowned. "How early are we talking?"

Sybil sighed. "5am."

Tom's eyes widened. "Jesus, Syb—"

"I'll be done by the time Suzy comes home from school," she quickly added. "Which means I can join you when you go trick-or-treating!"

Tom made a face. "You'll be dead tired," he muttered.

"Thankfully I have Tuesday off," Sybil said with a happy groan. She was already looking forward to a morning of sleeping in.

"Hmmm..." Tom put down the masher and snuck his hands around his wife's waist. "Maybe after I take Suzy to school that morning, I'll rejoin you in bed—"

"Are you two talking about kissing?" Suzy's little voice interrupted.

Tom and Sybil's cheeks burned at the question. "Finish setting the table," was Sybil's answer, avoiding her daughter's eyes.

"I did," Suzy proudly announced.

"Did you make a spot for your grandmother?" Tom asked. His mother had more or less "invited herself" over to their flat for dinner, however her reasons were more than simply because she wanted to have a meal with her son and his family.

"She was very mysterious on the phone," Tom murmured out loud. "Mentioned she had something she wanted to show us, but didn't say anything more beyond that."

Suzy giggled; clearly she knew more than her parents.

At that moment, the door buzzed and Suzy flew towards it, greeting her grandmother with an enthusiastic hug and some mysterious whispers. "Soon," was all that could be heard, before Margaret rose to greet her son and daughter-in-law.

"Smells delicious!" Margaret commented, handing her coat to her son and giving his cheek a kiss.

"We'll be ready soon!" Sybil told her.

"Take your time," Margaret assured her, before sitting down in a nearby chair. It wasn't missed by either Tom or Sybil that she had brought in with her a rather large bag. Tom recognized it as the bag in which she carried her knitting. "Where's my grandson?" she asked, drawing Tom's attention back to his mother.

As if on cue, Aidan let his presence be known. "I'll get him," Tom sighed, brushing his hands on his jeans. "No doubt he heard his Nan and doesn't want to be left out!"

A minute later, Tom returned with a very alert Aidan in his arms, the baby reaching for his grandmother upon first seeing her. Sybil smiled as she brought the roast beef to the table, with Suzy close behind carrying the mashed potatoes.

"Hmmm, have you grown any more since I last measured you?" Margaret asked her grandson, who gurgled a noise that sounded like a laugh. Suzy giggled at this, and a knowing smile was exchanged between grandmother and granddaughter.

"Alright, what's going on?" Tom asked, putting his hands on his hips and trying to look stern, though everybody could tell he was teasing.

"I am curious, I can't deny," Sybil added, sitting down next to her mother-in-law.

"Well…I was going to wait until after supper, but I don't see why, do you Suzy?"

Suzy grinned and nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright," Margaret sighed. "Suzy, be a dear and fetch me my bag."

Suzy scampered off the chair she had been sitting on and rushed over to the bag, dragging it behind her until she reached her grandmother's side.

Margaret continued to cradle Aidan while she instructed Suzy to pass the bag to her parents.

"Go on, open it," Margaret told Tom and Sybil, her eyes bright as she watched the two confused parents do just that.

Suzy held her breath as she watched and waited…and then began to giggle as Sybil pulled out a little black onesie, complete with a hood to go around the baby's head. The hood was adorned with two pointed ears, and on the back, there was…

"A tail?" Tom murmured, looking at the onesie in confusion. "Is that a tail?"

"OH!" Sybil gasped, suddenly realizing what it was.

Margaret grinned, knowing her daughter-in-law had figured it out. "I thought to myself, even a 'flapper witch', needs a black cat…"

"Black cat?" Tom asked, and then looked at the onesie again.

"It's for Aidan, Daddy!" Suzy laughed. "His costume!"

"Oh Margaret, it's adorable!" Sybil exclaimed, rushing over to her mother-in-law and embracing her (as best as she could, since Aidan was between them). In fact, Sybil held the onesie up to Aidan and began to tremble with excitement. "Oh! Let's try it on, shall we?"

"Yeah!" Suzy exclaimed, wanting to see her baby brother in his costume as badly as her mother.

Tom still seemed to be taking it all in. "You made him a costume?"

Margaret sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Tommy, I did—I was inspired, actually, by Sybil's costume! I knew Aidan needed something, and thought he would be the 'black cat' to her 'witch', understand?"

Tom looked back and forth between his mother and son and then his eyes finally widened with realization. "OH!"

Margaret groaned and Suzy laughed. Sybil had already taken Aidan and the costume into the next room to put it on him. Five minutes later, she emerged with her little "black cat" who was gurgling some more, and attempting to reach for the tail that was hanging off his backside. "TA DA!" she announced.

Tom's smile spread wide as he looked at his son, and then at the look of pure happiness on his wife's face. God, how he loved her.

"Mummy! You should put on your costume too! Both of you!"

"After supper," Margaret cut in. "We don't want this perfectly good meal to get cold, now do we?"

Suzy groaned but eventually settled down in her chair.

"I think we'll have to wait until Halloween for that, Suzy," Sybil sighed, noticing how Aidan was ready to be free from his costume. And she didn't want to risk him wetting it. "Oh Margaret, thank you, this is truly wonderful—and so creative!"

"You're very welcome," Margaret answered, reaching over to squeeze her son's hand. Like him, she too was grateful for this little family. "On Halloween, why don't all of you come to my house? I'll cook for you, make you something extra special."

"But _after_ trick-or-treating," Suzy added, winning a laugh from her grandmother.

"Well, naturally."

 _To be continued..._


	27. October 27

_On this day (Oct. 27) fifty years ago (1966), Charles Schulz's Halloween masterpiece "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" premiered! In honor of that historic event in American television, I give you THIS chapter. Also, dedicating this to **smilingpepperonisgirl** :o)_

* * *

 **October 27** ** _—"The Great Pumpkin"_**

Suzy was practically bouncing in her chair as she watched her mother put the final touches on their jack-o-lantern. When Sybil had announced that today, they would carve it, Suzy's answer had been a sigh of relief, followed by the word, "fiiiiiiiiiiinally". Sybil frowned but Tom couldn't help but laugh.

Despite Suzy's best efforts to convince him otherwise, Tom didn't get a turnip to carve. She was forced to settle with a pumpkin, as she was used to having for Halloween. Still, as she gazed at their toothy grinning jack-o-lantern, Suzy couldn't help but smile in return. "Can we put a candle inside now?" she asked, practically begging her mother and giving her large, pleading eyes.

Sybil sighed but decided to indulge her daughter. "Alright, but not just yet; your father is still making the popcorn and I need to check on Aidan before we start the movie."

Suzy leapt to her feet, eager to get things moving. "I'll get the DVD ready!" she announced, and rushed into the living room to find the disc in question.

"Popcorn is nearly finished!" Tom announced. "How much butter do you want?"

"LOTS!" Suzy answered.

"Suzy…" Sybil said in warning.

Suzy sighed and retracted her answer. "Just a little," she grumbled.

Tom chuckled and when Sybil wasn't looking, added just a _touch_ more than "a little".

"You're gonna love this movie, Daddy!" Suzy confidently said from the living room.

"I'm sure I will," Tom answered, placing the large bowl of popcorn on a tray, as well as three smaller bowls for them to scoop popcorn into.

"I still can't believe you've never seen it," Sybil murmured as she passed the kitchen on her way to check on Aidan.

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "As shocking as it is to hear, I just didn't watch that many cartoons when I was a lad. And I'm not sure if the film had the same 'notoriety' here, when I was growing up, as it does now." He brought the tray carrying the popcorn into the living room and carefully set it down on the coffee table. Suzy reached for some, but Tom raised a finger, whispering for her to wait until her mother returned.

"Well it's impossible to miss now," Sybil called out from the nursery. "As Suzy is always saying every year—"

"It wouldn't be Halloween without it!" Suzy supplied, grinning widely and popping the disc into the DVD player.

Sybil returned then. "He's sound asleep," she announced, taking her place on the couch next to her husband.

"At least for the moment," Tom added, putting his arm around Sybil's shoulders. Suzy had claimed a place on the floor, lying on her stomach, her chin resting in her hands and a small bowl of popcorn sitting beside her elbow.

"Ready?" she asked, craning her head over her shoulder, the DVD remote already in her hand.

Tom put on a mock frown. "Who's going to protect me from the scary parts?"

Suzy rolled her eyes. "There are no 'scary parts' in this movie, Daddy!"

"I'll protect you," Sybil gallantly offered.

"My hero," Tom sighed, throwing a hand against his brow and "fainting" into his wife's arms.

"Shh!" Suzy hissed, giving a glare to her parents before turning her attention back to the TV. The DVD menu popped up and Suzy wasted no time, hitting the "play" button. Soon, the image of animated children running from one direction to another, while ghosts and monsters rose above them, laughing wickedly and making all sorts of spooky sounds. A large pumpkin appeared on the screen, words carved out, reading "IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN!" while an animated ghost peeked out from behind. An owl hooted…and then the film officially started.

"There's a quite a bit of butter in this popcorn," Sybil mumbled, giving her husband a look.

Suzy gasped and jolted upright, causing both her parents to jump as well. "THE PUMPKIN!" Suzy exclaimed, hitting the pause button on the remote and rushing over to the kitchen table, where their newly carved jack-o-lantern was waiting. "Mummy, we need to light it!"

Sybil sighed and rose from the couch, Tom doing so as well to fetch his wife the matches. They gathered around the table and watched quietly as Sybil struck a match, then lit the candle within the pumpkin, the jack-o-lantern's toothy grin seeming to "come alive" thanks to the fire.

"Better?" Sybil asked, looking down at Suzy. The little girl nodded her head approvingly. "Good; now can we get back to the movie?"

Suzy didn't have to be told twice. She raced back to the living room and resumed her position on the floor in front of the TV. "Turn off the lights, Daddy!" she called.

Tom did just that, and soon the only light filling the room was that of the glowing jack-o-lantern, and the TV screen.

"There's still quite a bit of butter on this popcorn," Sybil mumbled again, after she and Tom had settled on the couch.

Tom looked at his wife innocently. "Really? Let me check…" He leaned in and kissed Sybil's lips, lingering against them for a moment, before pulling away and running his tongue over his own. "Hmmm…I'm not sure, I may need to try again…"

Sybil giggled and tilted her face, but Suzy's groan stopped them. "Stop kissing, you're missing it!"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _Only a few chapters left! Tomorrow, the class party!_


	28. October 28

_My longest chapter yet! But how can it not be? Because it's time for SUZY'S CLASS PARTY! ;oP Thanks as always for reading! And dedicating this one to **madmum38**  
_

* * *

 **October 28** ** _—"Bobbing for Apples"_**

Sybil smiled as greeted her husband with a kiss, just outside of Suzy's school. She had come straight from the hospital, as soon as Thomas had arrived to take over for her shift. "Did you remember to bring—?" she started to ask, but stopped when Tom produced her witch's hat in question. "Thank you, darling," she laughed, taking the hat and placing it on her head. "Hmmm, I'll be a strange looking witch, though; black, pointy hat, but in blue hospital scrubs."

"You're a 'healing witch'," Tom answered, putting his arm around his wife's shoulders. "And every bit as sexy as your flapper counterpart," he said with a low growl and a devilish grin, bending his head to steal another kiss.

Sybil giggled but stopped him before he could proceed. "Did you bring your cape?" She noticed he wasn't dressed up, not that she had planned to wear her full costume to Suzy's party. Having come straight from work, she figured her hat would be sufficient enough. Besides, this was the children's party. Still, she was a little surprised Tom hadn't come with anything resembling his vampire counterpart.

Tom shook his head. "I think I'll just be 'the bumbling writer' for today," he explained with a chuckle.

Sybil rolled her eyes. "You're not a 'bumbling' anything," she quietly chastised. She eyed his mouth for a moment. "You could have worn your fangs—"

"No," Tom cut her off. He saw the effect those things had had on Sybil, and while he didn't mind seducing his wife, the thought of those other mothers, catching a glimpse of him with those fangs…

He shuddered.

"Tom Branson…" he winced at his wife's tone. She no doubt knew what he was thinking. And she was right. She groaned and shook her head. "You truly are 'frightfully full of yourself'," she sighed.

Maybe, but he was "popular enough" with some of the mothers, he didn't need to throw vampire fangs on top of it.

"Come on," Sybil looped her arm through his. "Time to 'get down and boogie' with all the little gremlins."

"Boos and ghouls," Tom offered, which earned a laugh from Sybil.

They entered the school and after checking in with the office, went straight to Suzy's classroom, where music could already be heard playing from the hallway. Upon entering, the found the children playing a rousing game of musical chairs, while the other parents who were chaperoning were off to the side, setting up the treat table.

"Mummy! Daddy!" Suzy waved from where she was marching around the circle of chairs. Mrs. Quincy, who was in charge of the music for the game, glanced up and smiled at the Bransons. So did the other chaperones, their heads all seeming to jerk upward as soon as they heard Suzy cry out "daddy!"

"I suppose we should go over here?" Tom murmured to Sybil, gesturing her towards the group of mothers. Sybil smiled and allowed him to lead her, though she noticed he seemed to be eagerly pushing her forward…and ahead of him.

"Mr. Branson," several of the women greeted, all of them smiling, and their cheeks a bright shade of pink.

"Hello…" Tom greeted back, blushing a bit himself. "Um, have you met my wife? Sybil?"

The mothers turned their eyes towards Sybil, and Tom held his breath, unsure exactly on what would happen next.

Their smiles never seemed to lessen. "Oh! Mrs. Branson, how wonderful that you were able to come!" One of the mothers gasped, reaching forward and taking Sybil's hands in hers and shaking them. Tom's eyes widened slightly as he recognized that the woman was none other than Mrs. Donnelly. All of the mothers gathered around Sybil then, each introducing themselves, each remarking that they were both surprised and glad she was able to get off work to attend the children's party…and Tom was surprised as he was practically pushed away from the group, left on the outskirts and…seemingly being ignored.

"Mr. Branson?" Mrs. Quincy called from where she sat. Tom moved away from the women and went to Suzy's teacher. "Would you be so kind as to prepare our 'apple barrel'?"

"Apple barrel?" Tom repeated, looking over Mrs. Quincy's shoulder to the item in question.

The teacher nodded. "It's a large tub, really; we just need it filled for our next game."

He still didn't quite understand what the teacher meant, but nodded his head and went to work as she instructed, filling a large plastic tub with water and making sure the plastic table cloth upon which it sat covered the whole table. The game of musical chairs had ended; Suzy had made it to the final three, but went out after that. Still, she didn't look disappointed one bit; it was clear she was having the time of her life.

"Alright, gather around!" Mrs. Quincy called forth. The children eagerly did so, joining their teacher (and Tom) by the tub, where Mrs. Quincy revealed a large sack of apples. "This is a very simple game, called 'bobbing for apples'," she began.

"OH! I KNOW THIS ONE!" Suzy eagerly volunteered. "You put the apples in the water, and we have to catch them, but we can only use our teeth!"

Mrs. Quincy laughed and nodded her head. "Yes, exactly. This is a very popular Halloween game, especially in America."

She then proceeded to pour the apples into the water, each making a little splash as they landed. "Now, you WILL get wet during this game, so be mindful of that…" she warned, although her warning fell on deaf ears, as the children clearly couldn't care less about soaking themselves, they were just eager to play. Tom wisely took a step back.

"Alright, let's begin with four children, and then we'll rotate," Mrs. Quincy advised. Suzy got to be one of the first four.

"Careful, me darlin'," Tom murmured to the child, but she was too busy concentrating on which apple to go after.

"Alright…ready?" Mrs. Quincy looked at the four, each gripping an edge of the tub. "GO!"

Tom practically leapt back when a great splash erupted as four little heads dove under the water in their quest to catch an apple. Laughter filled the room, and when he glanced over towards Sybil, he noticed she had managed to free herself at last from the clutches of the other mothers, and was giggling as she filmed Suzy with her phone.

"Free at last?" he whispered in Sybil's ear as she approached.

Sybil glanced up at him. "They're lovely ladies," she quietly defended, before adding, "who do seem a _bit_ infatuated with you, but I don't think you need to 'worry' as much as you seem to," she added with a roll of her eyes. "They're just naturally charmed by the sight of a loving father…who also happens to be extremely fit," she teased, nudging him with her hip.

Tom nudged her back. "They seemed eager to talk to you," he murmured, glancing over at the women who were looking back and forth between the giggling children, and both he and Sybil.

"Miss your fan club?"

Tom shuddered. "No, I didn't mean it like that!" he hissed.

Sybil laughed. "Well…I probably shouldn't tell you this, because it will just inflate your ego EVEN MORE, but…" she sighed. "They wanted to hear _my_ side of the story…how we met, how we fell in love…" she leaned her body close to his. "How you proposed; all the details they had been imagining but until now, hadn't been able to learn."

Tom wasn't sure if he found this information flattering or frightening?

"Don't worry, darling…this 'flapper/hospital witch' will make sure no one steals her 'vampire' away," she giggled.

He knew he was being silly, deep down, but still…he appreciated his wife's words.

"MUMMY! DADDY! LOOK!"

They turned their heads to Suzy's enthusiastic voice. "I GOT ONE!" she exclaimed, holding up an apple. She was also soaking wet, dripping water everywhere.

"I brought towels," Mrs. Quincy assured the parents, to which Sybil nodded her head in thanks, before taking one and ushering Suzy aside to dry her off.

"She's lovely, Mr. Branson…" Tom heard a voice murmur behind him. He swallowed and turned to see a few of the mothers, including Mrs. Donnelly, standing nearby, smiling at the sight of Sybil and Suzy, before returning their admiring gazes back to him. What was he supposed to say? Thank you? And were they talking about Sybil or Suzy or both?

"Your wife also told us how your mother made an adorable costume for your son," one of the women offered. They all started to gather around him, closing in. "She said you had a picture on your phone?"

Tom's face burned brightly and he glanced over at Sybil, his eyes narrowed as she innocently smiled back at him.

 _To be continued..._


	29. October 29

_Late but still on time (at least where I sit). This one is shorter as I struggled with what to write-but hopefully you'll enjoy it, especially if you like Branson brother antics :o) Thanks as always for reading!_

* * *

 **October 29** ** _—"Bonfire"_**

Sybil sat back in her chair and gazed up as the orange flames seemed to lick the night sky. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of crisp autumn air and burning oak; it was a strange smell, but not unappealing.

"Here you go, love," she heard her husband murmur, and looked up and smiled at the offered mug of steaming cider. The mug instantly warmed her hands. She brought it to her face and grinned as the steam warmed her cheeks, blew lightly, before tilting the hot liquid to her lips.

"Oh!" she gasped, surprised by the taste.

Kieran, who had come up behind his brother and offered his own wife a mug, grinned proudly. "Just a touch of good Irish whiskey," he chuckled.

"On top of good Irish cider?"

"Of course!" Kieran said with a wink. "It's the only way to have it."

"Sit down and enjoy the fire," Clare shushed, patting the chair next to her. Kieran and Tom joined their wives and turned their attention to the roaring bonfire that illuminated the outdoor hearth. It had become a "pre-Halloween" tradition over the last few years: the entire Branson clan gathering at Kieran and Clare's little farm for a late October bonfire, taking advantage of the weather before it got too cold or wet. Suzy naturally leapt at the chance to see her cousins again, but she was downright ecstatic when she learned that there would be a bonfire. _"And we MUST bring marshmallows!"_ she told her parents, because apparently a bonfire wasn't a bonfire without marshmallows to toast.

"Where are the children?" Sybil asked, frowning as she realized how quiet it had become.

"Inside," Tom told her. "After the marshmallows were consumed, Suzy started to grumble about the smoke; I guess a bonfire is only so much fun for so long."

"Mam is in there, as well as our sisters," Kieran assured Sybil before she asked if anyone was there to mind the children. Margaret had offered to take Aidan, and Tom's sisters had very young children as well, so all of them had turned the living room into a make-shift nursery.

"I hope the boys aren't trying to scare the younger ones," Clare said with a bit of warning directed at her husband.

"I talked with the boys beforehand," Kieran sighed. "They know better."

"Aye, they knew better the night Suzy was here for the girls' sleepover too!" Clare growled.

"Well they definitely know better this time," Kieran assured. "Because I told them if they misbehaved again, they'd have to answer to their mother."

Tom couldn't hold back his laugh, despite the nudge he felt from Sybil's foot. She tried to show a little solidarity with her sister-in-law, though she too had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. She decided it was best to lift her mug and hide her face behind it.

"So, are you ready for the big day?" Kieran asked, turning the conversation away from his glaring wife.

"It's Halloween, Kieran, not our wedding day," Tom groaned.

Kieran rolled his eyes. "You have two young children—trust me, it's a big day."

"Well I don't think Aidan will care one way or another."

"All the more reason you should!" Kieran laughed. "You can have all of his sweets!"

"Are you taking him trick-or-treating with you?" Clare asked Sybil.

Sybil laughed but nodded her head. "At least for a little bit; Margaret did make him the most adorable costume."

"Aye, but you'll need to wear yours too in order for it to make sense," Tom added.

"Then you should wear yours as well," Sybil argued.

"Oh, that's right," Kieran laughed. "I heard all about you, _'Count Branson'_ ," he teased.

Tom blushed, but Sybil reached over and squeezed his hand, a loving (and rather wicked) smile spreading across her face. She at least appreciated his costume (very much).

"Kieran once dressed up as a cowboy for Halloween," Clare offered, causing her husband to sputter and look at his wife with traitorous eyes.

"Clare!" he hissed.

"What?" Tom leaned forward. "When did this happen?"

"When Sean was little," Clare explained. "He had just seen the latest _Toy Story_ movie and wanted to be 'Buzz Lightyear' and begged his Da to go as 'Woody'."

Tom threw his head back and roared. "How did I not know about this!?"

Kieran's eyes were narrowed slits as he glared at Clare, but she simply smiled sweetly back at him.

"Yeah, well, there's a picture in one of Mam's photo albums of Tom dressed up as 'Robin Hood'—complete with green tights."

Tom's eyes grew wide. "What!? No I didn't—I was always a ghost for Halloween when we were kids!"

"Not your first one," Kieran reminded. "You were four years old, it was the first time you went trick-or-treating with us, and Mam was just dying to make you a costume—she said it was 'Robin Hood', but I think it was more likely 'Peter Pan'."

The brothers continued arguing and Sybil sighed and leaned back further into her chair, breathing in her cider and trying to enjoy the bonfire. It was times like these that made her think of Downton. Yet ironically, it was also moments like these that reminded her how it was impossible to ever feel homesick.

 _To be continued..._


	30. October 30

_Just one more after this :o( but I hope you enjoy this one! It's one of my favorites :o) and a special dedication to **elsakatze**_

* * *

 **October 30** ** _—"Trick-or-Treat"_**

Sybil had an early start for Monday morning, so Tom encouraged her to get to bed early, promising to take care of the children as well as the washing up and any other chores that needed to be finished. Sybil smiled and kissed him, thanking him for all that he did, then murmuring her goodnights to Suzy and kissing Aidan's head, before slipping into their room to get an early night's sleep.

Aidan had also decided to take a little nap, which gave Tom and Suzy the freedom to clean the kitchen (Suzy dried the dishes while Tom washed) and then snuggle together on the couch for a chapter of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree. Tom had just finished reading when his mobile made a sound, indicating that someone had texted him. Glancing at the screen, he frowned as he read the message from his editor, asking if he could tweak his article a bit and email it back to him tonight, preferably.

Tom groaned, then kissed Suzy's brow, and asked her if she could get into her pajamas and brush her teeth without his help.

"Daddy, I'm eight years old," she groaned rather dramatically. "Of course I can do that!"

Tom bit his lip to hold back the laugh and nodded his head. "Good; I'll be in soon to tuck you in."

Suzy chewed on her bottom lip. "Could we read one more chapter?" she asked. "After I finish getting ready for bed? Please? The one for tonight was so short…"

Tom sighed, knowing he was already defeated. Still, he decided to hold out just a little bit, and answered, "we'll see…but go get ready first; I need to email my editor, so I'll be in there in a few minutes…"

Suzy obediently nodded her head and hopped off the couch, tiptoeing down the corridor so that she wouldn't wake her mother, before slipping into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Tom shook his head and chuckled, before moving to his laptop and tackling the article in question. "What does he mean exactly by 'tweak'?" he muttered to himself. He re-read the article, and decided to take out the third paragraph, as well as add a few words to the opening one. He typed, deleted, and moved a few things around here and there, before feeling satisfied with his efforts. He quickly attached the article to an email and sent it straight back to his editor, hoping that would satisfy the man and be the last he would hear from him until tomorrow.

Tom rose from the couch and stretched his arms, gritting his teeth as he felt the muscles in his back pull and the bones of his shoulder blades crack ever so slightly. Sybil would be glaring at him if she heard him, and no doubt throw a few choice words about "future arthritis", but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt him, at least for the moment.

He turned his ear towards the nursery, somewhat surprised that Aidan hadn't made any sounds of a fuss since he had put the boy down in his crib. If he fell asleep before the rest of them, he always woke up just before they had the chance to head off to bed, earning one last cuddle, change, and possible bottle, before being tucked in for the night.

Tom moved towards the nursery to check on his son…but paused in the hallway as he heard a little voice coming from just inside. He knew it wasn't Aidan, which only meant…

Tom sighed; Suzy was supposed to be getting ready for bed herself, and if she really wanted another chapter read…

"…It's a lot of fun!" he heard Suzy whisper. Tom frowned. Who was she talking to?

"You go up to the door, and either knock or ring the bell and hold out your sack and say, 'trick-or-treat'!"

The door was just a crack, so without pushing in, Tom peeked through to see. The sight immediately warmed his heart.

"The most important thing to say, however, is 'thank you', whether they give you sweets or not," Suzy explained to her baby brother. Aidan's eyes were wide open, but he was staring directly at his sister, giving her his undivided attention.

"Now I know you're not talking—or at least you're not talking in a way any person can understand…" Suzy muttered. "So just leave it to me to say everything."

Tom bit his lip, trying very hard not to laugh and draw away Suzy's attention.

"Also, you're too little for sweets, so just let me handle that too."

Tom couldn't help the snicker that escaped his lips, and Suzy frowned, turning her head in the direction of the door, but Tom ducked out of the way just in time.

Suzy shrugged her little shoulders, before turning her attention back to Aidan. "You'll like Halloween," Suzy assured her brother. "It can be spooky, but it's a lot of fun. Mummy and Daddy both said that when they were children, it wasn't such a big deal, but thanks to 'American television', every child goes trick-or-treating now."

Tom nodded his head in agreement. Aye, he had dressed up and gone trick-or-treating as a lad, but he knew a lot of kids who didn't, and knew a great many houses that didn't always offer candy. Now, it was practically expected of everyone to have some sort of sweet to hand out to tiny ghouls and goblins.

"I think you'll like it," Suzy told her brother. "And if you get scared, I'll protect you."

Tom smiled at the tender scene, especially when Suzy leaned close and pressed her lips to Aidan's downy head through the spaces in the crib. Tom straightened and gave a little cough. "Suzy, me darlin'? Are you in bed yet?" he called from the corridor, pretending he hadn't witnessed the exchange.

Suzy gasped. "Almost!" she called out, still trying to keep her voice low. "Nighty night, Aidan!" she whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, when it's Halloween!"

Tom side-stepped around the corner, out of Suzy's sight, and listened to her feet, scamper across the floor to her room, before shutting the door. He chuckled to himself, then moved into nursery to see to Aidan himself. "Aye, I think she's right," he murmured to his son, tickling the boy's belly and earning both a gurgle and a grin from the child. "I think you're going to like Halloween very much…especially with Suzy as a big sister."

 _To be concluded..._


	31. October 31

_HERE IT IS! The *last* one :o( awwww! I will miss this little series, but it was fun! I hope you enjoyed celebrating Halloween with the Bransons from the "suzy universe"! Thank you to everyone for reading and following and a special thank you to those that reviewed and shared their thoughts! This chapter is dedicated to ALL OF YOU! And so without further ado..._

* * *

 **October 31** ** _—"Cauldron"_**

"She's finally asleep," Tom announced to his wife as he entered the living room where Sybil was sitting, a giant plastic cauldron filled with candy on her lap.

Sybil turned her head and gave her husband a tired smile. She was utterly exhausted after a day of waking extra early and being at the hospital from five until mid-afternoon, then coming home to help Suzy and Aidan get into their costumes, as well as getting into her own at Suzy's assistance. Even Tom dressed up, cape, fake fangs, and all! They went to Margaret's, had their pictures taken, then hit the streets, tricking-or-treating up and down every road Suzy could find. They returned to Margaret's for supper, and then a few of Suzy's cousins came over, and they played games until everyone started yawning. Suzy fell asleep on the drive back to the flat, but much to her parents disappointment, was wide awake upon return, and begged Tom to finish reading The Halloween Tree before going to bed.

"Long day…" Tom said with a sigh as he eased himself down on the couch next to Sybil.

"And night," Sybil groaned, rolling her stiff shoulders, before popping another piece of chocolate into her mouth. The candy was Suzy's, but she collected so much (and a good amount for Aidan as well) she said that it was "ok" if her parents wanted to have some.

"Very generous of our daughter to allow us to have some of her loot," Tom chuckled, helping himself to a piece as well. He noticed Sybil's groan as she rolled her shoulders, and turned on the couch to put his hands on her back, rubbing the stiff muscles and smiling as he heard her groans turn to pleasured moans. "Easy, love, you're giving me ideas…" he whispered.

"Not tonight," Sybil sighed. "I'm afraid I'll fall asleep as soon as my body hits the mattress."

"What about the wall?" Tom teased, laughing at the look she threw him over her shoulder.

Sybil couldn't help but smile at her husband's cheeky humor, and reached around to pat his knee. "When you come home tomorrow from taking Suzy to school…I'll make it up to you," she purred.

"Oh, that's right, you don't have to go into work tomorrow…" he playfully growled, leaning in and nipping at her neck. He had taken the fangs out, but he still played the part.

"Mmmm…no, and a nice lay in will be heavenly after today," she sighed, relaxing against him.

"In more ways than one," Tom vowed against her neck, before easing her body even further against his chest, his arms enfolding her and holding her close. "But it was a good day, yeah?"

Sybil smiled and nodded her head. "It was," she murmured. "A very good day, and a very good month."

"Halloween was a success?"

Sybil laughed but again nodded her head. "Our first Halloween as a married couple," she reflected.

"And Aidan's first as well," Tom added. "Think he'll have a hang of it next year? Will he be able to walk and keep up with Suzy?"

"I don't know if anyone can keep up with Suzy," Sybil groaned. "But he'll certainly try."

"Especially if he's anything like his big sister," Tom chuckled.

They both smiled and allowed the quiet of the evening to sink in around them. It would be a new month tomorrow, and Halloween and all the preparation that went into it would become a memory until another year. There were already signs of the upcoming Christmas holidays in the stores, and Tom and Sybil could already imagine Suzy begging that they get a Christmas tree and decorate it before it was even December. Life with their "little Miss Suzy" would never be a dull one.

But for now, they would focus on the present, on the fun that was had that day with the children, and the days leading up to it, from apple orchard visits, to Halloween pranks, to going to the costume shop (multiple times), to watching _It's the Great Pumpkin_. Tom would even concede that those times he chaperoned Suzy's class were fun ones as well. All in all, October had been a lovely month, and the Bransons knew that was because they were building memories and starting traditions unique to their own little family.

"Sybil?" Tom whispered, noticing how her breathing seemed to even. Had she fallen asleep?

She stirred at the sound of his voice. "Hmmm?"

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Come on, love…let's get you to bed. You'll be much more comfortable there than on the couch."

"Mmmm…I'm not so sure about that," she sighed, turning and snuggling her head into his chest. It wasn't the mattress that brought her comfort, but the arms of her husband.

Tom smiled and eased her up, taking the cauldron full of candy and setting it aside. Without another word, he scooped Sybil up as if she were as light as a feather, and quietly carried her towards their bedroom, her head nestled on his shoulder, her arms entwined around his neck.

"Happy Halloween, love," he whispered into her hair.

She smiled and closed her eyes, snuggling even deeper. "Mmmmm…Happy Halloween," she sleepily murmured back.

 **THE END  
 _Happy Halloween!_**


End file.
